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While the demise of communism in Europe's Eastern bloc hasmeant more global opportunities, these countries' rapidlyshifting political and economic climates make such venturesrisky.
Among the bloc nations, the Czech Republic is seen as the moststable, and its economic growth means more demand for foreignproducts and services. Export opportunities abound, particularly incomputer hardware and software; the Information TechnologyAgreement (ITA) of 1997 promises that technology tariffs will beeliminated by the end of 2000. There are also opportunities forcompanies offering management consulting, marketing, PR, legal orfinancial services.
Those opportunities were apparent to Howard Woffinden, 42, andGreg Gold, 43, soon after filming a series of Claudia Schifferfitness videos in Prague. Receiving a flood of inquiries abouttheir experiences, they joined Prague partner Tomas Krejci in 1996to form Los Angeles-based Milk & Honey Films, a productioncompany supporting U.S. filmmakers shooting abroad and overseasshops shooting in the United States. According to Woffinden andGold, the Czech Republic offers inexpensive, top-quality resourcesand, Gold adds, "a large labor pool of highly skilled, highlyeducated craftspeople."
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