©iStock/7Michael The Hawaii State Trade and Export Promotion — Export Readiness Program is designed to help small businesses go global. Hawaii recently received the largest export grant award in the nation ! “A lot of companies, they produce…for the local market,” said DBEDT [Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism] branch chief Mark Ritchie. “(They) think “Oh, could I actually start selling outside of Hawaii?” and that’s what the whole program is about.” Read more: Export program helps businesses understand international markets