b'EXPERIENCE-CENTERED LEARNINGGetting off the groundBechtolds entrepreneurial journey began at just 16, selling fireworks from underLooking Forward a 20-by-40-foot tent.TRULASKE STRATEGY PILLAR 2 With the support of his father, Bob Bechtold, he set up the tent in the parkingExperience-Centered Learninglot of their familys Midway Travel Plaza, located seven miles west of ColumbiaOne of Trulaskes greatest strengths is the experi-off Interstate 70. This prime location proved to be a significant advantage forence it can offer its students, both inside and outside the young entrepreneur, who continued to operate a seasonal fireworks standthe classroom. Building on current assets, Trulaske throughout high school, college and his 20s. At one point, he managed up towill: five stands in a single season. Today, Bechtold has transformed Spirit of 76 Fireworks from a seasonal oper- Expand the use of immersive, experience- ation into a leading importer and distributor of consumer fireworks, employingcentered learning methods into courses across 50 people and serving more than 10,000 customers. His business now includesthe collegethe hands-on learning known as thea retail store behind the travel plaza and a 150,000-square-foot warehouse inMissouri Method.Boonville, Missouri. Additionally, he has developed his own fireworks brands, SkyReimagine the delivery of the colleges signature Bacon, Tako and 76 Pro Line. Expanding into international markets seemed likeTrulaske Edge professional development program the logical next step in building his fireworks business.to enhance students preparation for their future I thought reaching out to the ITC would be the best place to start, he said. careers. Reaching new heights Grow opportunities for students to collaborate with industry partners, while connecting all assets Each semester, the ITC works to recruit four companies interested in expandingacross the college to enhance the student expe- their sales internationally and 16 undergraduate student interns to conduct therience and student preparedness. research and data analysis necessary to support these projects. According to Want to get involved?Jackie Rasmussen, assistant teaching professor of management and directorContact Gay Albright, associate dean of academic of the ITC, businesses that collaborate with the center are better positioned toprograms, at albrightj@missouri.edu.strategically enter new markets and expand their global presence.The participating students gain direct hands-on experience in connecting with business leaders, she said. They also develop insights into the complexities of identifying and evaluating potential markets while enhancing their project management, global market research, data analysis, communication and team-SHOOTINGSpirit of 76 taps into global market with expertwork skills.Continuing to growguidance from the International Trade CenterSince fall 2014, more than 110 company projects have been completed, involving The ITC has maintained close communication with FOR THEat the Trulaske College of Business. more than 400 student interns.Spirit of 76. Recently, Matthew Rhinehart, the compa-Smith said students working with Spirit of 76 toured the companys facilities,nys purchasing and product line manager completed When John Bechtold, B.S.B.A. 94, set his sights on expanding his thriving fire- engaged with employees and had full access to company records. Starting with the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) works business to international markets, his first step was to seek expert advice STARS from the International Trade Center (ITC) at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. Collegea list of 20 potential countries, they narrowed the field to five through thoroughtraining, an annual program offered by the ITC to help research.trade professionals earn this prestigious certification. of Business. From there, they did a deep dive into each country, examining factors suchThe CGBP is a professional credential endorsed by The ITC, known for leveraging student interns, faculty expertise and leadingas economic conditions, political stability, tax implications, costs and possibleNASBITE International, the leading authority and BY SARA DIEDRICH market research databases, tailors its research to meet the specific needs ofmarkets for consumer and professional fireworks, such as resorts, stadiums andindustry standard for global business education, trade Missouri businesses aiming to enter global markets. sports teams, Smith said. Their final report was comprehensive, breaking downcredentialing, training and practice.As the owner and president of Spirit of 76 Fireworks, Bechtold was eager to begineach country and ranking them to identify the best target areas for us. Our experience with ITC has been incredibly posi-exporting his products but was uncertain about where to start. During the fallAdditionally, each country came with at least four points of contact and refer- tive, Bechtold said. If youre running a business and 2023 semester, the ITC assigned a team of four students who not only providedences for distribution.considering exporting, I highly recommend reaching the answers Bechtold needed, but also offered insights that far exceeded hisout to the Trulaske College of Business. It has made expectations. Earlier this year, Smith acted on the student teams recommendation by completingall the difference for us.the Heartland Express Accelerator Course, a comprehensive, multi-week, virtual The students were absolutely amazing, Bechtold said. What they did in atraining program sponsored by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. ThisFor more information about the ITC, contact semester would have taken us much longer to do on our own. course equips businesses to thrive in the global marketplace by guiding themRasmussen at rasmussenj@missouri.edu orThanks to the students work, Bechtold and Robert Smith, vice president ofthrough the development of a robust export plan, addressing essential sectorsKrista Hinrichs, manager of the ITC, atSpirit of 76, are now collaborating to establish partnerships with distributors insuch as finance, logistics, marketing and legal considerations. Smiths participa- hinrichsk@missouri.edu or visit mizzou.us/ITCMexico and Canada. These connections were made possible through the studentstion in the course put him in contact with the Missouri Department of Economic comprehensive research and insightful recommendations.Development, which has introduced Spirit of 76 to the plethora of services on They weeded through tons of information that prevented us from going downthe state and federal levels for businesses looking to expand into international pathways that would not have benefitted us, Smith said. In essence, theymarkets.provided us with a clear road map. We had no idea there was so much support on the state and federal levels for businesses importing and exporting, Bechtold said. 8 | TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TRULASKE MAGAZINE 2024| 9'