SBEA Spotlight: Sonya Kostadinova, Transcon Trading Co.

This month, the Small Business Exporters Association (SBEA), the international trade arm of the National Small Business Association (NSBA) recognizes a long-time member to highlight their exporting experiences, how their business has benefited and been affected by exporting, and their overall trade experiences in this global marketplace.

These featured spotlights offer a great opportunity for small firms to share their stories with other SBEA members and the greater small-business community, as well as enhance the collective understanding of what it means to be a small- or mid-sized exporter today.

In this month’s newsletter, and on our website, www.SBEA.org, SBEA is presenting Ms. Sonya Kostadinova, owner, president and CEO of Transcon Trading Co., Inc. located in Columbia, South Carolina. Transcon is an export management company (EMC) that has been in business since 1979. As mentioned in Ms. Kostadinova’s profile, Transcon performs the functions of an export department for those small U.S. manufacturers that do not have the expertise to establish their own in-house export department, or simply opt to supplement their export efforts by tapping into Transcon’s already established distribution networks overseas.

Having worked for multinational companies’, government agencies, as well as run an import/export management company in Europe prior to owning an export management company in U.S., Ms. Kostadinova has gained extensive experience in all facets of international business. She has a unique perspective and advantage in this arena, as having served many roles including: exporters/importers, manufactures/suppliers, customers/distributors. This experience coupled with her involvement in strategic planning, supply chain, finance, accounting, regulatory, marketing, advertising, and sales management on two continents, gives her a competitive edge over other EMCs.

A dedicated advocate of small-business export and trade issues, Ms. Kostadinova serves on the Board of the ECI (Export Consortium  Inc.) -Find New Markets (former SC Export Consortium); the Advisory Board of the South Carolina World Trade Center (SCWTC); and the Executive Committee of Midlands International Trade Association (MITA). She also represents Transcon as a member of South Carolina World’s Affairs Council (SCWAC); American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA); and other renowned professional organizations.

Transcon is the recipient of the President’s “E” Award, the nation’s highest honor for excellency in exporting, the SCWTC Trader of the Year Award, the ThinkGlobal/Commercial News USA Exporter of the Year Award, and the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s Export Achievement Award, among others.

SBEA and NSBA are working to ensure the voices of small exporters are heard by lawmakers on Capitol Hill and small businesses personal exporting stories can be incredibly impactful. Members who are interested in being featured in a Member Spotlight, please click here to download the questionnaire and send it back to us today. In the meantime, please click here to read SBEA’s featured spotlight, Ms. Sonya Kostadinova.

Past SBEA Member Spotlights:

Raymond Arth of Phoenix Products, Inc.