A group of Atlanta-based foreign trade representatives, which travels regularly to Southeastern cities on trade missions and is scheduled to tour LaGrange and Columbus on Aug. 24-25, has expanded its entourage this time to include a foreign diplomat, said Louise Fortin, organizer of the trade mission.
The Czech Republic’s honorary consul general, George Novak, who oversees both consular and trade issues, is joining the upcoming trip, said Ms. Fortin, an international marketing official for the Quebec Trade Office.
She encourages other foreign diplomats to consider participating in upcoming trade trips, such as one planned to Orlando, Fla., this fall. Future trade missions are also being planned to Greenville, S.C., and Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.
Also new to the mission is Asish Mehr, who represents the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India. Representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Israel, Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan, as well as the province of Quebec, will also participate.
According to Ms. Fortin, these trade missions help to connect foreign representatives responsible for trade matters to potential trade partners in the Southeast.
Formed in 2001, the group has visited companies in Hunstville, Ala.; Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Macon, Rome and Savannah, Ga.
“We want to learn more about why companies choose to locate in a particular area, as well as make contacts for our individual countries,” she said.
She cited for example, American Home Shield Corp., a home warranty company that decided to open a 60,000-square-foot call center in LaGrange due to the area’s sophisticated telecommunications network and qualified workforce.
For more information, contact Ms. Fortin at (404) 815-4979 or Piet Morisse at (404) 659-9611.