For many entrepreneurs in California, the crucial first steps to global markets took place with the help of GBC International Bank. As a delegated lender of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Exim Bank), GBC provides export financing solutions that have bolstered family-owned manufacturing and trading companies for almost 20 years. "There are companies that we started up perhaps with a US$100,000 credit line whose revenues exceed US$100 million nowadays," says Dennis Lam, chairman, president and CEO of GBC. "It's gratifying to see these success stories through the years." Among Exim Bank's top five lenders, GBC also tailors export financing solutions for small businesses in Washington state. The personal touch is immediately evident: GBC helps potential customers fine-tune business plans by assessing foreign market conditions. Doing so minimises risks and enables such fledgling businesses to flourish. The bank itself has grown through referrals from successful customers. This accounts for its highly diversified portfolio, which runs the gamut from clean energy products to dry food and nuts. "The good thing about this bank is we are open," Lam says. "The venture's potential is the deciding factor." Last year, GBC emerged as the US Small Business Administration's top export lender among small institutions. It won the award alongside Citibank, which topped the large institutions category. "We are proud of playing a small role in easing the US trade deficit by supporting exporters," Lam says. As trade flows between the US and China expand, GBC taps into long-standing relationships with Asian banks such as Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to assist Asian investors. For instance, it helped a Chinese company establish operations in California for plastic materials that are recycled in China. A Vietnamese company also succeeded in producing wine in Napa Valley for its own label with GBC's export financing. Export or re-export, GBC is positioned to ease US financing to any destination globally. GBC International Bank http://www.gbcib.com