Tim Daman, president and CEO of Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce said he works in partnership with the Capital Region International Airport on managing and marketing the Port Lansing services as well as the Foreign Trade Zone, and said the conference was a way for them to introduce these services to the attendees of the conference.

“The expectations of what we were hoping to do here was expose businesses throughout the greater Lansing region to the opportunities for international and global trade and the resources that were established and built here locally,” Daman said.

Matt Szukalowski, UPS marketing manager of the Great Lakes District branch, said his company uses Port Lansing to export and import packages daily, but he came to the conference to learn more about the logistics aspect.

“UPS is obviously very versed in logistics, but looking at it from the customer’s perspective ­— what do they expect from the provider?”

Larry Finney, supply chain manager of Air Lift Company, attended the event to pitch his company to Port Lansing, but found he learned more about what Port Lansing can do for his company.

“I’ve gained a lot more today than I expected,” Finney said. “There’s a lot that the port can do for us that we haven’t taken advantage of, and so many resources that we didn’t know were there for us until today.”

Larry Finney said he found the words of Michigan Economic Development Corporation president and CEO Michael Finney, no relation, inspiring for the state of Michigan’s present and improvements for the future.

“He’s such an eloquent speaker (about) … what they’re doing to help businesses succeed here and grow, and add new jobs to Michigan.” Larry Finney said.

In his speech, Michael Finney praised the state’s roots as a manufacturing state.

“We are a state that makes things,” he said. “Having the kind of talent that understand how to make things is something that Michigan has and does very well.”

Minh Tran, co-founder of Executive Fan and a 2002 alumnus, said the conference met his expectations because his company has worked with Port Lansing in the past.

Tran’s company now manufactures, develops and markets niche products with licensed logos, he said. The first brand Tran helped create was Fan Tape, using the MSU logo. They since have expanded to include 60 colleges, NFL, Marvel Comics and many more logos on their Fan Tape.

“Port Lansing has showed a lot of collaboration into helping small, startup businesses like ours kind of get our feet off the ground,” Tran said.