SOUTH KOREA-BASED SUNKYONG CORP.’S ANNOUNCEMENT LAST MONTH THAT IT WOULD BUILD A $250 MILLION POLYESTER FILM PLANT IN NEWTON COUNTY IS RELATED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KOREAN AIR LINES (KAL)’S SEOUL-TO-ATLANTA FLIGHT A YEAR AGO, SAID JEFF RADER, MANAGER OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AT THE METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
“THE DIRECT CONNECTION IS A SHIPPING CHANNEL FOR MANUFACTURERS AS WELL AS A WAY FOR EXECUTIVES TO MOVE ABOUT, HE SAID. “KAL SERVICE ON THE ROUTE MAGNIFIES THE IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE LINKS AMONG SOUTH KOREAN INDUSTRIES.”
SOME OF THE LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTORS IN GEORGIA ARE THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, BRITAIN AND JAPAN. ALL OF THESE COUNTRIES HAVE NATIONAL “FLAGSHIP” AIRLINES THAT SERVE ATLANTA.
MR. RADER ALSO POINTED TO FLORIDA, WHICH HAS DIRECT AIR FRANCE FLIGHTS BETWEEN PARIS AND MIAMI, AS WELL AS A LARGE AMOUNT OF FRENCH INVESTMENT, AS EVIDENCE OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DIRECT FLIGHTS AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT. GEORGIA IS NOT SERVED BY AIR FRANCE AND HAS RELATIVELY LITTLE FRENCH INVESTMENT.
THE CORRELATION HAS MOTIVATED THE CHAMBER TO INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL OF BEGINNING DIRECT FLIGHTS TO INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH AIR INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS IN THE HOPES THAT THEY WILL LEAD TO NEW INVESTMENT FROM THOSE COUNTRIES, SAID MR. RADER. THE CHAMBER ALSO SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF THE AMERICAN-ISRAEL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO GET EL-AL TO FLY TO ATLANTA, HE ADDED.
CALL MR. RADER AT (404) 586-8465.
HORST BAUMAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF PANALPINA, INC.; COLIN FLANNERY, ATTORNEY INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL LAW, TROUTMAN SANDERS; JAMES SMITH, REGION VICE-PRESIDENT, KINLEY-HORNE AND ASSOCIATES; FRANK LEVY, BROADBAND INTERNATIONAL MARKETING, SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA; AND AHUMA ADODOADJI, DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN GOVERNANCE, CARTER CENTER, WILL SPEAK AT A SEMINAR ENTITLED “DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA” TO BE HELD AT THE CLAYTON STATE CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTER, ROOM 203, TUESDAY, MAY 7- FROM 9:00 A.M. TO 11:00 A.M. CALL (770) 478-6549.
CONMARK INSTRUMENTS, INC. OF LILBURN, A MANUFACTURER OF HIGH-TECH MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY, RECEIVED A GEORGIA EXPORT FINANCE FUND (GEFF) GUARANTEE MAY 3, THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND TOURISM ANNOUNCED.
THE GUARANTEE IS THE FIRST OFFERED THIS YEAR AND WILL ENABLE CONMARK TO PROVIDE ITS CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR, ESKO INSTRUMENTS, LTD. OF NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, EXTENDED PAYMENT TERMS OF 120 DAYS. GEFF HAS ISSUED A GUARANTEE FOR 90% OF THE FINANCING PROVIDED TO CONMARK BY SUMMIT NATIONAL BANK OF ATLANTA. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL KEVIN LANGSTON AT (404) 656-4504.
THE ATLANTA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL HOLD ITS 8TH ANNUAL AWARDS GALA AT WHICH HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS PEOPLE WILL BE HONORED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCAL HISPANIC BUSINESS COMMUNITY. ANITA DE FRANCE, THE HIGHEST-RANKING U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ON THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, WILL BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. COCA-COLA AND THE SEQUOIA GROUP ARE TO BE HONORED, AMONG OTHERS. A RECEPTION AND DINNER WILL BE HELD AT THE WESTIN PEACHTREE PLAZA HOTEL STARTING AT 6 P.M. COST: $120. CALL THE CHAMBER AT (404) 264-0879.