Exports of goods coming from California rose 21.5 percent over this year’s first three quarters, bringing the total to $94.5 billion, well ahead of last year’s tepid rise in annual export growth of only a half-percent.
The state’s increase in overseas sales was broad-based, with all 26 export markets showing double-digit growth, according to a report from the state Trade and Commerce Agency.
The industry category showing the single largest increase over the year was industrial machinery and computers, which had a 37 percent rise compared to the first three quarters of 1999.
Within that category were many locally based companies that sold a good more of its goods to foreign customers.
Overland Data Inc., a Kearny Mesa-based manufacturer of computer tape backup systems, said between 30 percent to 40 percent of its total sales this year came from overseas customers.
“It might even be higher than that because that isn’t counting our sales to some OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) which use our products but may end up going overseas,” said Steve Richardson, vice president of marketing.
Richardson said Overland’s international business was growing faster than its domestic side, but couldn’t provide exact increases.
Overland’s fiscal year ended June 30.
It had $123 million in sales, and about $2 million in net profit.
“The fastest-growing regions for our products are Australia, China and Mexico,” he said.
Cubic Corp., another Kearny Mesa-based manufacturer with two distinct groups, transportation and defense, was also seeing increases to its overseas sales, but unable to break out exact figures.
Abe Wischnia, a Cubic spokesman, said in the company’s last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 1999, revenues were nearly evenly split between domestic and foreign customers.
Cubic reported $259 million in domestic revenues and $257 million in foreign sales in 1999.
Looking at this fiscal year, Wischnia said the firm’s largest export customer on the transportation side was the British army, which purchased a variety of training systems and equipment. On the transportation side, the London Underground and some British bus companies are the largest customers buying Cubic’s automatic fare collection equipment and systems.
Other industries showing large gains were electronics and electric equipment, up 23 percent; and instruments and related products, up 25 percent.
California exports to Mexico continued on a torrid pace, rising 32 percent through the first nine months to total $14 billion. Mexico is not only the state’s largest trading partner, it is San Diego’s largest partner as well.
The state report did not break out numbers for individual cities in California.
Exports to Japan, the state’s second biggest customer, for the first nine months were $12.2 billion, down nearly 6 percent from the like period in the previous year.
In order of their market size, California’s next biggest buyers are Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Germany and Singapore.
The single biggest change from the previous year was exports going to South Korea, where the $7 billion amount was 51 percent more than 1999’s first nine months.
Exports to the top 10 Asian nations for the first nine months increased 26.8 percent to $40.6 billion, and accounted for 43 percent of all exports, the Trade and Commerce Agency said.
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Wireless Facilities Buys Swedish Firm: Wireless Facilities, which designs, deploys and manages wireless networks for cellular, PCS and broadband wireless carriers and suppliers, said it paid about $2 million for Telia Academy AB of Kalmar, Sweden, a subsidiary of Telia AB, Sweden’s No. 1 telecommunications company.
The purchase is the second Swedish firm for WFI. In October, WFI acquired Telia AB contracting division in Gothenburg for $7.8 million.
WFI said it plans to use the new acquisition to help its overseas deployment. The new firm, renamed WFI Academy, provides management training and development programs to telecom executives, and will continue to operate from Kalmar.
BioPulse Applies For Frankfurt Listing: BioPulse International Inc., a biotech firm headquartered in San Ysidro, said it has applied for its common stock to be listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, one of the world’s largest.
Participating on the exchange should broaden the awareness of the company’s cancer clinic in Europe and create a following of its stock, said BioPulse President Loran Swensen.
BioPulse combines alternative and biotech treatments for cancer and other diseases. The company owns a portfolio of therapeutics and diagnostics, as well as clinics.
For its fiscal year ended July 31, the firm had a net profit of $155,031 on sales of $3.1 million. The stock, traded over the counter, last traded at $11.
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Baja Guide Available: In one of her final press releases, former Mayor Susan Golding announced residents can obtain a free tourist guide to Baja California from the city. The guide will detail the rights of U.S. tourists traveling in Baja and provide some insight into Mexican law.
The brochure provides information about tourist services, numbers for assistance while in Mexico, and includes explanations of traffic signs. To obtain a copy, call the mayor’s office. The new mayor is Dick Murphy, a former San Diego Superior Court judge.
OMM Appoints Siemens Exec: OMM Inc., a San Diego supplier of photonic switching subsystems, said it named Werner Pekarek as vice president, subsystems engineering.
Pekarek formerly worked as vice president of manufacturing for Siemens, the German diversified manufacturing conglomerate. His experience includes manufacturing managerial jobs in telecommunications, and switching systems. He ran facilities in Florida, Texas, Brazil, Germany and Portugal.
Send international business news to mallen@sdbj.com.
