From Local to Global: Supporting Minority-Owned and Small Businesses

Small businesses hold a vital role in our communities, offering unique products and services that enrich our lives. By providing them with the resources they need, we can help them expand their business and establish their presence in a competitive marketplace.

Let’s take a look at Productora de Alimentos del Litoral - PALIT, a Salvadoran food processing plant. PALIT specializes in products derived from chicken, such as breaded and fried chicken wings, chicken chunks, and chicken nuggets. Initially, they bought chicken wings from national producers, however, as their demand grew, they were denied sales by local producers who saw them as competitors.

PALIT then turned to the United States to source their chicken wings and began working with an established importer. Over time, their expertise in the product grew, and their demand for high-quality and sized wings increased. In September 2022, they contacted our Central American team for support in finding contacts and opportunities to meet producers and suppliers of their chicken wings. With the help of our team, PALIT made their first contact with a new buyer. Through FTA, PALIT was able to submit information about the products they were looking to export and the countries they were interested in exporting to. This information was then shared with buyers who FTA is in contact with. This approach offers our exporters exclusive access to a variety of potential buyers who are actively seeking the products they offer. Our large network of potential buyers is especially helpful if you are an exporter who is just starting out in the exporting business and are unsure of where to find reliable suppliers. 

In February 2023, PALIT was able to import their first container of 44,000 pounds of chicken wings at a value of $20,000.00. By July, they had already imported four containers and continued to experience growth in demand. In June 2023, PALIT began relations with one of our trading company members, importing a container of 50,000 at $21,500.00. PALIT’s growth has allowed them to expand their business to two of the most important supermarkets in El Salvador: Walmart and Super Selectos.

Thus, by partnering with FTA International, exporter businesses can increase their chances of finding new customers and expanding their business just as PALIT has. Whether you are new to exporting or looking to expand your business, we offer you the resources you need to achieve your goals.