At YSU, Kassis takes role as trade adviser

Staff report

Youngstown

Mousa Kassis, director of exports for Global Equipment and Connections in Youngstown, has been named the international trade adviser with the International Trade Assistance Center at Youngstown State University.

The International Trade Assistance Center provides a variety of export-counseling services at no cost to small-and-medium-sized businesses in Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.

Kassis, an adjunct faculty member in YSU’s economics department for 16 years, has extensive experience in exporting and will offer services such as export readiness assessments, financial advice, help with finding government funds, logistics assistance, cultural readiness and preparedness for foreign regulations and customs issues.

Kassis previously was owner and general manager of United Wholesale Distributors in Girard, and associate vice president with Morgan Stanley in Beachwood, Ohio. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from YSU.

ITAC, part of the portfolio of services offered through the Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU, is part of President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative and supports programming and international trade services for companies interested in initiating or expanding international trade activities.

“My role and focus is to help small- and medium-sized businesses, including farmers, to expand their sales on the global level. After all, they are the engines of growth in the U.S. economy,” Kassis said. “ITAC has the ability and the tools to provide businesses with specific market research on specific countries, niche market analysis and opportunities to promote their products in the international market. As a result, their business will expand.”