Part of EXIM’s outreach strategy involves customer site visits. These visits strengthen relationships by gaining deeper insights into customer needs and reinforce EXIM’s commitment to empowering U.S. businesses to compete globally. Site visits take place across the country, as EXIM supports exporters in every U.S. state and territory. When visiting customers, the team may include a business development officer, underwriter, and/or member of EXIM’s Front Office.
A recent example comes from Thomas Isidean, a loan officer on the Export Credit Insurance (ECI) team in the Office of Small Business, who embarked on a road trip across Alabama to meet with several customers. EXIM has a strong presence in the state having supported an estimated $441.8 million of exports from Alabama over the 10-year period ending in September 2023, according to a recent EXIM Annual Report. One of EXIM’s 2025 Exporters of the Year, Giles & Kendall, Inc – a cedar oil manufacturer – is based in Huntsville.
Here are Thomas’ responses to several questions about his customer visits:
Q: What topics are typically discussed during ECI customer visits?
Thomas – As a loan officer, I ask customers how their business is going and what challenges they’re facing. I review how they’re using their policy and identify any areas where they might need support. For example, on this trip, I learned that one customer wants to ship their product to a freight forwarder in the U.S. – something that requires a special endorsement under their policy, which we’ll now add.
I also ask customers how they find their buyers and offer to provide an introduction to contacts at the U.S. Commercial Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The U.S. Commercial Service has a program called the Gold Key Service, which helps U.S. exporters find overseas buyers and other stakeholders for a small fee, and they also provide many other offerings to connect businesses to global markets.
Q: Which customers did you meet with?
Thomas – I met with:
- Birmingham Fastener & Supply, Inc. (Birmingham), a manufacturer and distributor of custom and non-standard fasteners,
- Joe Piper, Inc. (Birmingham), an odd lot and job lot paperboard distributor,
- Opico Corporation (Mobile), an agricultural and turf equipment distributor that connects American manufacturers with global markets,
- Performance Manufacturing, LLC formerly Great Western Products (Hollywood), a distributor of concession products including popcorn oil, snow cone syrups, cotton candy, and seasoning.
On trips, my team and I meet as many customers as possible to make the most of our time and increase our impact.
(Left to right: Thomas Isidean, Loan Officer, during site visits with Rocky Franklin, Vice President and General Manager at Performance Manufacturing, LLC, and Derryl Salzburn, Corporate Credit Manager at Birmingham Fastener & Supply, Inc.)
Q: Do customer site visits play a role in influencing future policy and program development?
Thomas - I share relevant insights with leadership in the Office of Small Business and the underwriting team. For instance, one customer mentioned they needed help with their annual SAM.gov registration renewal. All firms seeking federal financial assistance from the U.S. Government – including new ECI applicants and those renewing ECI policies – must have an active SAM.gov registration, which includes the issuance of a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). While we routinely assist new insurance applicants with this process, we’re also happy to support existing customers. I’ll pass this customer’s information on to our team so we can help them with their renewal.
To learn more about how EXIM can level the playing field for U.S. exporters, click here to download an EXIM Export Credit Insurance guide tailored to your state or click here to request a consultation with a trade finance specialist. From Alabama to Wyoming, EXIM staff are dedicated to supporting exporters across the United States from providing education about the opportunities and challenges for which EXIM can offer solutions to customer support.
