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American Market Access LLC (“AMA”) was founded in January of 2001 to provide a personalized, hands-on approach to serving the needs of small and mid-size firms growing their businesses by accessing new markets internationally. AMA brings together a combination of talent and experience rarely found in a firm dedicated to serving this segment of the market.

AMA was founded by John D. McCahill. Educated at Albright College and Lehigh University, with additional graduate studies at Rutgers University and Stevens Institute of Technology, Mr. McCahill brings extensive business, financial and economic development experience to the firm. His career prior to establishing AMA includes commercial and investment banking at Irving Trust Company, CSFB and Bank of New York, leverage lease financing with Connell Finance Company and corporate finance advisory as well as domestic and international economic development in both the public and private sectors as Manager of Inward Investment for the State of New Jersey and Manager of the New Millennium Fund for PSEG.

Over the last twenty-five years, Mr. McCahill has assisted a wide variety of companies, both American and non-US, to access American financial markets and to establish themselves in the United States. From this “service industry” concentration comes a strong sense of client commitment and personal involvement in achieving clients’ goals. His breadth of experience in dealing with companies from around the globe has contributed to a level of cultural sensitivity that clients welcome.

Mr. McCahill is an active member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey World Trade Council, where he plays a prominent role in the preparation of both the annual World Trade Day Conference and the annual Diplomatic Reception. Additionally, he serves as the Council’s liaison to the Office of the Governor. He is also a member of the Northeast Economic Developers Association (“NEDA”) through which he maintains contact to economic development organizations and key individuals throughout the entire Northeastern United States. Overseas, he maintains contact with economic development organizations throughout northern Europe and key Asian locations.

This background, as well as his extensive contacts in many related disciplines, is the basis for providing successful solutions to clients’ needs.

Ms. Julie Sio brings eighteen years of diverse experience in international trade, marketing, research, advisory services, and consultative sales. She has a well-established track record in strategic market development and business expansion for domestic and foreign firms. Ms. Sio possesses considerable knowledge of the healthcare, industrial and high-tech sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices/diagnostics, construction, chemicals, plastics, logistics, instrumentation, telecommunications and IT, as well as experience with government.

Most recently, Ms. Sio was a Director of Strategic Consulting and Research at FIND/SVP, a leading knowledge services firm, overseeing both the Healthcare/ Pharmaceuticals and Industrial Products/Services Practices. She generated over $600,000 in revenue in one year, turning around under-performing practices with the creative use of internal and external resources. Her responsibilities included proposal/presentation preparation, client relations, project management, and direct consulting in market and competitive intelligence.

Ms. Sio was also engaged in international consulting work with Ballantrae International were she undertook diverse projects such as locating strategic alliance opportunities for over 20 German and Finnish firms with leading US science and technology companies, and assessing the US market for Hong Kong Telecom.

In previous roles, Ms. Sio created an international business development service for manufacturers at the NJ Institute of Technology, representing medical, electronics and IT firms on business development missions to Europe and the Middle East, and creating strategic alliance programs between US and foreign manufacturers. Ms. Sio held increasingly responsible positions in the international and port departments at the Port Authority of NY & NJ for ten years. She graduated cum laude from Colgate University before receiving her Masters Degree in Management and Policy Analysis from the New School University in New York City.

Ms. Judy Neldam brings an outstanding combination of strong business acumen and specific industry specialization to the AMA team. Ms. Neldam has created a reputation for herself through fourteen highly successful years of experience in the bakery and food service industry covering sales, marketing, consulting, and management. She has established and managed two successful startup businesses.

The first, Bakery Systems of America, was a bakery equipment and consulting firm specializing in turnkey bakery café operations. This business reached one million dollars in annual sales within its second year of operation. The second business, The Grateful Bread, is a retail bread bakery and cafe in Seattle, Washington that has been in profitable operation since 1996. This successful retail establishment offers a unique “Pacific Northwest” style and menu. As evidence of its success, it was recently featured in the Puget Sound Business Journal, a highly regarded newspaper that focuses on notable Pacific Northwest businesses.

Ms. Neldam has also managed large regional territories for two leading bakery equipment manufacturers with primary responsibility for distributor, dealer, and direct contract sales. In this capacity, she has interacted with large supermarket and “mega-store” chains and has a thorough understanding of that market segment. As a regional manager, she is known for exceeding regional projections and leading company performance. She has produced a variety of marketing and sales materials and has conducted dozens of training seminars.

Ms. Neldam received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of California at Davis and a Writer’s Certificate from the University of Washington. In addition, she has studied artisan bread baking at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California and the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ms. Neldam has a unique and diverse background in the bakery and food industries. She is well versed in the large-scale equipment and product market and has demonstrated talent in creating successful retail concepts. Her personal energy and her enthusiasm for her work are greatly appreciated by colleagues and clients alike.

Mr. Stuart Z. Koperweis brings to AMA an especially valuable combination of public and private sector experiences from which clients can gain considerable benefit. He has served as a Congressional staffer in Washington D.C., engineered the remarkable growth of a major economic development corporation and played a leading role in the renaissance of New Jersey’s second (soon to be first) largest city.

Mr. Koperweis began a marketing career while still pursuing his undergraduate education at C.W. Post College in New York City. He went on to receive a graduate degree in International Affairs and Economic Development from American University in Washington, D. C., before working on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide to a mid-western congressman.

In his private sector career, Mr. Koperweis spent nearly 13 years in sales and marketing management positions with companies in both the sporting goods and household goods industries. His experience includes negotiating with major manufacturers, managing distribution systems and liaison with sales outlets.

Since 1990, Mr. Koperweis has been an active participant in community affairs, and his relocation to Jersey City made him one of the pioneers in the formation of “grass roots” organizations. In 1993, with the election of a new Mayor in Jersey City, Mr. Koperweis joined the administration as the chief-of- staff. In the following year, he moved to Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, and was soon promoted to president. Six years later, JCEDC had grown from a $1.3 million to a $15 million corporation and was responsible for overseeing $55 million in development projects.

Since then, JCEDC has garnered several prestigious marketing and advertising awards, and has gained a reputation as one of the best economic development corporations in the country. From the effective formation of Special Improvement Districts (SIDs), to the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) security program, Mr. Koperweis’ leadership resonates throughout the city. His expertise on urban development and progressive economic incentive programs has made him a favored guest speaker around the world.

Today Mr. Kopeweis lives with his wife and three children in Historic Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he has taken on the challenge of leading the renaissance of another community as Executive Director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce. He is an active member of several local and national charitable, religious, and professional organizations; as well as a trustee (vice-president) of the board for the Learning Community Charter School.

Another important member of the AMA organization is Ms. Jodee Thompson. Ms. Thompson holds an undergraduate degree in English from Gettysburg University and Masters Degrees from both Montclair State University and Gonzega University.

Ms. Thompson’s early career was devoted to the field of post-secondary education. She held teaching positions at Orange County Community College in Middletown, New York and at Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington. While serving as Program Manager for the Orange-Ulster (NY) Board of Cooperative Educational Services she managed the Skills to Work and Women in Transition Programs. In this capacity she created innovative training programs, successfully identified and developed funding sources, wrote productive grant proposals and developed effective marketing and recruitment literature.

In her business career, Ms. Thompson has managed two start-up companies, most recently in a specialized niche of the logistics industry. She has prepared business plans and has created administrative systems for internal and customer use. Additionally, she has developed and implemented strategies to target key companies within the Office Products industry that resulted in achieving US$2,000,000 in sales in just 31 months. Ms. Thompson has successfully built customer relationships with key corporate personnel, distribution center managers, and staff, and authored marketing materials and correspondence that resulted in the development of a company network covering the United States.

Ms. Thompson has been a catalyst for innovative projects, proven outstanding market development skills and demonstrated highly successful selling abilities. Her drive and focus significantly strengthen the ability of AMA to meet clients’ needs.

info@americanmarketaccess.com