LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s small business owners say employees in the state’s China and Japan offices have saved them from making irrevocable mistakes in the global market.

The Nebraska Center Japan in Yokohama celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and during the past decade, exports to the country have more than tripled, thanks in part to the center’s physical presence as a touch point for economic development in the region.

Jeremy Baker, global sales manager for Oxbow Animal Health in Murdock, says representatives at center guided the company through cultural nuances and enabled Oxbow to double its sales in the region.

Nebraska economic development officials say successful business relationships abroad rely on personal relationships and trust.