EXPERIENCE, Inc. (EI) was formed in 1963 and registered in the United States. It is managed from its operational base in Bangkok, Thailand.

In its early days, EI provided marketing and strategic direction for US agribusiness firms operating internationally. Between 1979 and 1990, the company expanded into international consulting, undertaking 21 contracts, valued at more than $48 million, for governments and international financing agencies. In 1990, Experience, Inc. was purchased by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) and operated as that company's Agriculture and Agribusiness Division. During this period EI implemented major projects for the US Agency for International Development and the Asian Development Bank. In late 1999, EI restructured to become an independent company.

In 2004 EI changed its name to Experience International, Inc. It is a US company, registered in Delaware and headquartered in the center of Bangkok, with easy access to all of Asia and the Middle East. EI is the parent company of Experience Consultants (Thailand) Ltd. Registered in Thailand since 1996, Experience Consultants performs contracts for which bidding is restricted to Thai companies.

From its original base in agribusiness, EI has expanded its consulting in two directions. For the public sector—mainly USAID in recent years—EI provides services in sustainable livelihoods development; agriculture sector growth and agroenterprise development—through market chain optimization; and information management, including monitoring and evaluation and GIS applications. For the private sector, EI performs feasibility studies and does the planning and implementation of commercial agricultural and agribusiness projects in the developing countries of the region.

In 2001, EI successfully completed a major investment design, for the Asian Development Bank and the government of Uzbekistan, to develop that country's grain subsector. This led to an approved ADB loan. In 2002, EI completed design of the Lao PDR Smallholder Development Project, which was also funded by an ADB loan.

Between 2004 and the end of 2006, EI implemented a $2 million subcontract to provide agricultural design and development, programming, and information management services to the Agricultural Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI), funded by USAID. In 2007 and early 2008, EI concentrated on designing new programs for Pakistan and its Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

EI was awarded a subcontract for management and information services to the Capacity Building Program for FATA Development ($4.5 million for 3 years, with DAI as prime contractor). EI was also awarded a subgrant for agricultural sector development, information technology, and management services to the FATA Livelihood Development Program (north) ($6 million for 5 years, with the Academy for Educational Development as prime grantee).

In 2007, EI joined forces with Foodworks Company Limited to pursue private sector agribusiness opportunities in Asia and the Middle East. In 2008, EI signed a contract with the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company to provide feasibility studies for a commercial buffalo-milk project in two locations in Pakistan. In October 2008, EI, Foodworks, and Coffey International, which has offices in Dubai, are in active discussion of a concept to provide professional consulting services to Middle Eastern financial entities seeking to invest in the agricultural and agribusiness sectors.

For more information, e-mail:
donaldmickelwait@experience-inc.com or johnbuck@experience-inc.com

Address:
239/2 Lumpini 1 Building
Suite 42, 4th Floor, Sarasin Road
Lumpini, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Telephone:
+662-650-5075 up to 8

FAX:
+662-650-5722