Bozeman importer, Flat Earth Imports, brings unique products to U.S.

When Ripple Marketing http://www.ripplemarketing.com/ principals Kurt Palmquist and Dodd "Kitch" Walker went to Italy a few years ago as part of a marketing-Montana trip, they had no idea the ideas they were pitching would turn into a wholesale import business in Bozeman.

But when Richard Helzer, former director of Montana State University’s art school http://www.montana.edu/wwwart/ , asked Palmquist to turn his attention to Umbria — a region in central Italy, between Florence and Rome — a business was born.

Flat Earth Imports http://www.flatearthimports.com/

The business could have a ripple effect in Montana, opening doors for Montana companies to market their goods in Italy, such as Montana wheat, said Arnie Sherman, chief executive officer of the Montana World Trade Center http://www.mwtc.org . It has already resulted in an increased number of faculty and student exchanges between the two countries.

By JODI HAUSEN, Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/11/05/news/150economy.txt