Mission | History | Global Advisory Board

Van Andel Global Trade Center was founded in 1999 as an outreach unit of Grand Valley State University, at the time when the Richard M. DeVos Center in downtown Grand Rapids was opened.

Jay Van Andel, cofounder of Amway Corporation, recognizing that Devos Center would be a focal point for international business education and activity, saw the opportunity to provide local businesses with access to valuable international resources that he himself required during the early years of developing his business.

Van Andel Global Trade Center seeks to strengthen the community through helping companies increase their international business, and become more competitive in the global marketplace.

Located in the heart of Grand Rapids Michigan, Van Andel Global Trade Center has helped thousands of business people achieve their goals. In 1999, Van Andel Global Trade Center became the grantee-administrator for the Kent-Ottawa-Muskegon Foreign Trade Zone.

Through the generosity of Jay Van Andel, and dedicated services to international business assistance for local companies, Van Andel Global Trade Center is the University's commitment to Shorten the Distance between You and the World.