Events, Awards and Promotions

Foreign Translations, Inc. is the proud recipient of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month award for October 2010

Foreign Translations, Inc. began in 1998 in a spare bedroom in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as a supplier of Italian translation services. The company moved to Greenville in 2005 and in just the past few months increased staff by 40%. It expects to add even more local employees over the next year. Foreign Translations, Inc. is recognized as a global communications powerhouse with over 3000 translators worldwide servicing all the world’s major languages offering translation, interpreting, website localization, multilingual desktop publishing and international search engine optimization in every conceivable industry, including technical, legal, medical and financial. The company’s registered trademark “Go Global With Confidence®” illustrates how the company is local, but its reach is global – and by partnering with Foreign Translations, Inc., other companies can do the same.

After 15 years working in large Fortune 500 companies in New York and Florida, Ken Zwerdling, founder and CEO, recognized the opportunity of a global business and having control over his future. Frustrated by the rules, politics and bureaucracy of corporate life, he decided to buck the trend and start his own company. Combining his strong entrepreneurial business background and his wife’s, President Tamar Paltrow Zwerdling, expertise and experience in linguistics, they launched the company 12 years ago and never looked back. The most incredible aspect of the foreign language translation industry is that the company’s services apply to all markets in all locations around the world, and yet 99% of customers are serviced through the internet, never meeting face to face. Along with all of the translation services offered, Foreign Translations, Inc. also helps customers reach farther than ever to expand and grow into new and untapped markets.

The company supports many Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies including the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan. After only a few years in the area, Ken and Tamar are dedicated and very active in the local community. Ken is a member of the Greenville Chamber’s Small Business Committee, the Clemson University Corporate Board of Directors, and past Treasurer and current Board member of Congregation Beth Israel. He is also a corporate sponsor and member of the International Center of the Upstate’s – Upstate Global Professionals. Ken is also a member of Vistage International, a renowned CEO organization. Tamar is deeply committed to the Girl Scout organization, volunteering as Membership Liaison for Downtown Greenville, the largest Service Unit in the Mountains to Midlands Council. She was recently selected as chaperone for the Summer 2011 Susu Fund International Trip to the World Center in Switzerland. Tamar is also involved in Beth Israel Synagogue as Membership Coordinator and Gift Shop Manager. As an outspoken advocate for healthy children and families, she helped launch the community garden program run by GOFO, the Greenville Organic Food Organization offering the garden area at their home in the North Main area.

Foreign Translations, Inc. is a strong supporter of Clemson University, University of South Carolina, and Furman University, hiring graduates and interns on a regular basis.