Over the past sixteen months the Modesto SBDC counselors, Kurtis Clark and Mary Carson, have worked with me and my company. I've attended numerous business educational seminars, including the 13 week NxLevel Entrepreneur series of classes, at or through their office.

Each of these counseling sessions and seminares have been designed to drive our company forward, step by step, to increase and sustain our US exports under the President's National Export Initiative.

We are pround to state that last calendar year our exports of food and agriculture commodities exceeded $330,000. Needless to say this amount represents a 330,000% growth over the previous year.

With the direct assistance of the Modesto SBDC we now have current credit limits with US producers and service providers in excess of $350,000. These lines of credit strengthen our D&B business credit file resulting in more US SMEs offering us their product for export with favorable credit terms.

We have applied for and been approved by the USDA FAS CCC GSM-102 Export Credit Program. Consequently, we are working with a vetted import buyer in the program and should sign the contract and submit it to the GSM-102 program within the next week or so. This initial sale of food and agriculture commodities to the foreign buyer will be the largest sale in our history and will include these products: beef, poultry, pork, rice, corn meal, corn oil. This export will include our cattle/beef value chain my associates and I assembled over the past 4 months. This value chain is our most noteworthy domestic business strategy and is unique in its concept and will lead to our sustained export of US live cattle and boxed beef. One of our associates refers to this value chain as a "seed to sale" business model.

On any given day I'm speaking with US farmers, farmer co-ops, producers, logistics providers, ocean going vessel owners, insurance providers, US banking representatives, US federal, state or local program directors, foreign buyers and foreign bankers. The confidence level I now possess to speak directly with these senior level business people is a direct reflection of the teachings offered to me through the Modesto SBDC.

Under the aformentioned GSM-102 program we're looking at adding, as a back up plan, the SBAs and ExIm Banks Export Credit programs to our portfolio to strength or financial posture with our US suppliers. Sixteen months ago our discussing such programs with the SBA or the ExIm bank would have been inconceivable. Today we are having direct discussions with two major and well known US banks senior loan porfolio managers. Based on these discussions, and our using the GSM-102 program, we will most likely be approved for additional export credit financing...further extending our exports of US food and agriculture commodities.

It can not be overstated that through the Modesto SBDC our company reach is now deep into the local farmer and farmer co-op community. Through their network and contacts and our associates networks we can state that we are working, whenever possible, with local providers to take their product to the export market.

Further, our association with the GSM-102, ExIm Bank, SBA, OPIC, TDA, US Export Assistance Center Bakersfield/Fresno (Mr. Glen Roberts, Director, one of our most respected and valued resources, a man truly dedicated to facilitating the export of US goods and services; an absolute gem!) programs allows us to share our working knowledge of these programs with other US SMEs and the advantages of our working together to export their product with llittle or no risk. Again, this extends our discussions with our foreign buyers because, as one can imagine, most foreign buyers are unaware these valuable programs exist and are in place to assist directly in their purchase of US commodities, products and services.

When one looks back to determine what were the key points in changing our company direction, I can honestly say it was the day I walked into the Modesto SBDC office last February and met Mary Carson. Without my counselors support, guidance, direction and teaching I and my company would most likely not have achieved the level of success we have over these past 16 months.

Our company and the associates we are working with reflects an outreach covering varied US commodities, goods and services. One year from today, most assuredly, our story will be many times greater...our number of employees many times greater.

As one of my mentors explained to me years ago...show me examples of success, not reasons for failure.

It is our intent to show many examples of success to the Modesto SBDC as a light to encourage others toward the path we have chosen: Exports!

Regards,

Gregory Woods President GDM Distributors, Inc.