The AITC has been in operation since 1979, and Davis has worked there for more than three decades. He said the AITC serves between 150 and 200 Alabama companies each year.
“In the early years, we put together information pieces in other languages for state trade missions that explained Alabama’s location and the products made here,” he said. “Today, we focus on the ABCs of exporting: how to quote something; how to ship it; and how to get paid.”
Davis and his team also help businesses navigate import and export regulations, connect to potential customers, and secure credit or working capital to support the expansion of their operations. Even with the vast resources of the internet at hand, an experienced guide through the process is still irreplaceable.
LiDAR USA and its parent company Fagerman Technologies, Inc. credit AITC with helping them expand internationally. The company specializes in 3-D mapping technologies and has led the industry in the use of lidar on unmanned aerial vehicles. In 2024, LiDAR USA supplied the lidar system and consulted on an award-winning project that created a 3-D model of an ancient Romanian castle, the home of Vlad III, or Vlad the Impaler.
“The assistance we received from AITC was paramount to our overseas growth in markets that would have been difficult to penetrate otherwise,” Fagerman said. “AITC offered market research and analysis in sectors that were unknown to us at the time, which generated solid overseas growth.”
Hoover-based company BioGX has been working with AITC since 2014. The company makes custom reagents that simplify real-world polymerase chain reaction testing. Its products are widely used in scientific research and medical testing. The AITC has helped the company establish a presence in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
“Over the past 10 years, AITC has been a great partner for BioGX in facilitating international networking opportunities, providing market research and providing support to showcase BioGX products at U.S. and international conferences,” said Robert Martinez, the vice president of business development and scientific affairs at BioGX.
Global business experience for UA students
Davis believes the AITC’s work to support Alabama businesses is a natural fit at UA.
“The University’s mission is teaching, research and service,” Davis said. “We fall under service, using the talents at the University to do things that help improve the state’s economy.”
About 10 to 15 students intern at the AITC each semester, usually for multiple years. They come from a variety of disciplines across campus, including law, business, engineering, consumer sciences and foreign languages. The students find the AITC through word of mouth or campus postings. No matter what their major is, they share an interest in learning more about other countries.
Many students have found positions in the AITC or with clients’ businesses after graduation, often in logistics or exporting.
“We are part of the University’s mission in that way as well,” Davis said. “We help equip students to work in this world, which is global.”
Recognition from the governor
Although Davis is happy to work behind the scenes, he was surprised in May of this year with an award from Gov. Kay Ivey at the annual Trade Excellence Awards.
He said the award was a surprise — he initially thought his name on the program was a mistake.
Davis appreciated the recognition from peers, but even more, he appreciated that the award spotlighted the work of the AITC and its Export Alabama partners around the state. The center works with state and federal agencies, law firms, banks and cultural organizations such as the Japan America Society of Alabama.
“Helping these companies is very satisfying to me,” Davis said. “Whether in a small or large way, you can see the results: they make a sale, they travel for the first time, they learn how to do something new that helps their company.”
And ultimately, the help they offer supports both The University and the state of Alabama.
Courtesy of The University of Alabama
