Athens, Ga. (February 13, 2006) – Ugandan representatives from textile industries will exhibit their products at a Las Vegas trade show as part of an effort coordinated by the University of Georgia.

UGA’s International Public Service and Outreach and the International Trade Division of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the East Africa American Business Council (EAABC) are coordinating the participation of six Ugandan apparel and textile manufacturers and one representative of the Uganda Investment Authority at the Fall/Winter edition of MAGIC Marketplace at the Las Vegas Convention Center from February 21-24, 2006.

The companies will exhibit their apparel products, develop contacts with U.S. importers, and may sign sales contracts. This effort will help provide employment opportunities for Ugandan men and women without displacing U.S. workers. Prospective buyers can view company profiles online at: www.uga.edu/internationalpso/ugandatextiles.

The Uganda project — Uganda and African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA): A Focus on Value-Added Textile Exports — is a U.S. State Department-funded project designed to build linkages between Ugandan apparel and textile manufacturers and U.S. importers, wholesalers and retailers. The Georgia connection is through a partnership between the UGA and the EAABC in Atlanta. The Uganda Investment Authority (UAI) in Kampala is the project’s overseas partner.

Mr. Valentine Ogwang, Uganda Investment Authority, heads the Ugandan delegation and will provide follow up for the project to ensure its sustainability. The Ugandan company representatives are: Mr. Vijit T. Ratnarajah, Apparels Tri-Star Ltd.; Mrs. Rachel K. Bwankosya, Kwera Ltd.; Mr. Paul Kagumire, Phenix Logistics Uganda Ltd.; Mr. Herbert Musisi, Arch Graphics (Samaki); Mr. Anantkumar P. Parmar, Sigma Knitting Limited; and Mr. Richard Mubiru and Mr. Sudha Karan Menon, Southern Range Nyanza Ltd.

The company booths at MAGIC are CM 22736 (Phenix and Southern Range), CM 22737 (Apparels TriStar and Kwera), and CM 22738 (Sigma Knitting and Samaki).

Mr. Job Dieleman, international trade consultant, UGA’s Small Business Development Center; Ms. Robin Pearson, CEO and chief designer, Lord & Robin Apparel Company, Inc., Ellenwood, Ga.; Ms. Denise Midyette, EAABC; and Dr. Ian Hardin, professor of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors at UGA have provided training, marketing and coordination for the two-year project. Mr. Don Johnson, director, Dean Rusk Center for International Law and former chief textile negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has served as policy advisor to the project.

This project is also consistent with UGA’s Africa Initiative, which was jointly launched in 2001 by Dr. Art Dunning, vice president for public service and outreach at UGA, and Dr. Lioba Moshi, director of the African Studies Institute. The Africa Initiative aims to build linkages with East African institutions of higher education and development.

This project was awarded to the University of Georgia by the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State under the ECA/PE/C open competition.

For further information please contact Dr. Glenn C. W. Ames, director of International Public Service and Outreach at University of Georgia, ; Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Ugandan Investment Authority, ; or Mr. Patrick Ayota or Ms. Denise Midyette, East Africa American Business Council, Atlanta, Ga., at or .

The Office of International Public Service and Outreach is a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia.

This article was posted on Monday, February 13th, 2006 at 11:38 am and is filed under News.