International business students at Grand Valley State University had the opportunity on Tuesday to network with companies that do business around the world.

The International Business Expo was held in the L. William Seidman Center and allowed students to ask questions and hear from employers and financial officers about what a career abroad entails and what it takes to get there.

Some of the companies sought to fill internships or full-time positions as they plan to expand their efforts around the globe.

“They’re looking for people who have some ability to work across cultures,” said Carol Sanchez, director of GVSU international business programs.

Students with study abroad experience, foreign language proficiency and other skills outside of business better their chances of getting hired in an international position, Sanchez said.

Some of the companies at the expo were well known to students, but others were full of potential and poised for growth, she added.

“Part of our purpose is to raise their profile,” she said.

Steve Swanson, president and CEO of Imperial Clinical Research Services, said his company is currently seeking interns to fill full-time positions or employees to fill positions directly.

Imperial CRS, based in Grand Rapids, assists many of the top pharmaceutical companies with clinical trials. Only 5 percent of their business is done in West Michigan, Swanson said, which translates to many jobs abroad.

“The opportunities are very interesting,” he said.

Jeff McKee, chief financial officer of Grand Rapids-based X-Rite, a color science and technology company, said X-Rite does its manufacturing in Switzerland and China but is always looking for new markets.

“Our world is expanding,” he said. “South America is a relatively untapped market.”

Bob Kaiser, senior sales and international marketing manager for Founders Brewing Co., said Founders is currently seeking an intern as they continue to sell their Grand Rapids-brewed craft beer in more places around the world.

“We’re positioning ourselves to expand our international team pretty dramatically over the next few years,” he said.

Currently, Kaiser said, Founders sells beer in the European market. As it seeks to move to other parts of the world, language skills will be increasingly important for new employees.

“Speaking Spanish is definitely a plus,” he said.

Other qualifications for an international position really depend and aren’t based entirely on experience, he said.

“It depends on the person – on their ambition – that will fit in with our group,” he said. “It depends on the position.” 

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