MU ITC Interns Supporting the Decision-Making Needs of Area Businesses

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Image: ITC Interns Fall 2024

Sixteen MU and Trulaske College of Business students interning with the MU International Trade Center shared findings from the semester-long global market research projects with four U.S. companies each seeking to expand their sales internationally.  The students have completed extensive research to identify and evaluate international markets with sales potential for each of the participating companies. Companies working with the Trade Center this Fall included: Burger Specialty Foods (California, MO), Cocoon by Thermasi (St. Clair, MO), Heron Group (Chicago, IL) and Kentegra Biotechnology (U.S. & Kenya) and Patrice’s Culinary Collective (Kansas City, MO). 

In comments shared with the students following the final presentation Carl Hermreck, Senior Vice President of Burger Specialty Foods shared – “I just want to thank you guys for all the work. Obviously a lot of work went into this, and you can see it. It’s now our job to get something done with it, right. And so, we’ll take this and figure out a strategy. Hopefully, these real-life experiences mean something to you. Because, let me tell you, we sell product, we make it every day. We are real life. So that’s what we do. And I appreciate you guys and everything you do. Thank you.”

 

Burger Specialty Foods

Image: Burger ITC group
Pictured L-R: Cody Kleiman, Jacquelene Foster, Dzena Topalovic and Riley Young  

Cocoon by Thermasi

Image: Cocoon ITC group
Pictured L-R: Jonah Hynes, Connor Stein, Cocoon by Thermasi’s President Allen Coggin, Olivia Sanders, and Caleb Korzep

Heron Group / Kentegra Biotechnology

Image: Kentegra Biotech ITC group
Pictured L-R: Heron Group’s Managing Partner Derek Kessen, Kevin Fan, James Bianco, Catherine Hinkebein, Lexi Tucker, ITC’s Program Manager Krista Hinrichs 

Patrice’s Culinary Collective

Image: Patrice ITC group
Pictured L-R: Farouk Hamdan, Eva Oelsner, Patrice’s Culinary Collective’s Owner & Managing Chef Karen Boyd, Kaitlyn Blaylock, and Abbi Johnson