South Florida global trade firm moves HQ to Manatee County

A global trade consulting firm that handles immigration, tax planning, real estate investments and more for clients has moved its headquarters from Boca Raton to Manatee County.

The company, Oxford Group Inc., is now based out of SeaPort Manatee, in north Manatee County, according to a release. Oxford made the announcement in conjunction with news that the Oxford Brazilian Hub, a center for the “advancement of high-technology-focused commerce with Brazil,” according to the statement, is now open at the International Trade Hub at SeaPort Manatee.

The Oxford Group, according to its website, is one of the largest consulting firms for Latinos in the U.S., with more than 120 employees, associates and consultants. It's been in operation for nearly 50 years, with 31 years in the United States, and can do business in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

“With several Brazilian technology companies establishing presences at the trade hub plus agreements signed with such prominent entities as Northeast Brazil’s State of Pernambuco, the Oxford Brazilian Hub is emerging as a key strategic facilitator of entrepreneurial commerce in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence to digital product development to cybersecurity,” Oxford Group President and CEO Carlo Barbieri says in the release.

The Oxford Brazilian Hub was inaugurated during the Brazilian Trade Summit held Oct. 17 on the campus of SeaPort Manatee. That also built upon the partnership formed in July with Oxford Group, officials say. Ambassador André Odenbreit Carvalho, Brazil’s Miami-based consul general and Cristiano Berbert, deputy consul general, were among participants in the Brazilian Trade Summit.

“The success of the Brazilian Trade Summit and the ribbon-cutting for the Oxford Brazilian Hub underscore a shared commitment to nurturing dynamic opportunities for furthering high-tech-oriented commerce between Florida and the state’s top trade partner, Brazil,” says Roxana Santoyo, manager of the International Trade Hub at SeaPort Manatee, which was founded in 2014.

The International Trade Hub at SeaPort Manatee provides expert advice and support tools to scores of diverse companies. It has overseas offices in Colombia, Chile and Spain.