July 1, 2021
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In this episode of the Arkansas Inc. Podcast, host Clark Cogbill sits down with Ameen Pabani and Bush China Foundation Board of Advisors member Yang Luo-Branch, Ph.D. to discuss Asian businesses in Arkansas, bridging the gap between Arkansas and Asian companies, and international trade.
Luo-Branch is the founder and president of the Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses (AAAB), and Pabani sits on the AAAB board of directors.
In this podcast, Clark Cogbill, Director of Marketing for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, spoke with two guests who are helping those in the Arkansan Asian business community form those key relationships and connections, Dr. Yang Luo-Branch, and Ameen Pabani.
For perspective, Arkansas’ total exports to Asia in 2020 was over $1 billion. Among our top trading partners in Asia were China, Japan, and South Korea. There are many Asian companies with operations in Arkansas, just to name a few, with operations in Jonesboro, Hefei Risever, which is based in China, with operations in Little Rock, Welspun Tubular based in India. DENSO Manufacturing has operations in Osceola, they’re based in Japan, also based in Japan with operations in Marion, Hino Motors Manufacturing and with operations in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Kiswire, which is based in South Korea. Four years ago, Dr. Luo-Branch started the Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses to help bridge the gap between Arkansas businesses that want to reach Asian markets and also to support Arkansans of Asian descent.