Local officials to travel to Germany with select U.S. delegation
By Dave Stafford
The Herald Bulletin
The Herald Bulletin Wed Mar 23, 2011, 09:59 PM EDT
ANDERSON, Ind. — Officials representing Anderson and Madison County will be among 25 selected to travel with the U.S. Economic Development Agency next month to the largest industrial trade show on Earth.
Linda Dawson from the City of Anderson and Rob Sparks from the Corporation for Economic Development will attend the Hannover Messe trade show April 4-8 in Hannover, Germany. More than 6,500 exhibitors including industries from more than 65 nations will be represented at the annual conference whose focus this year is smart efficiency.
But the goal will be making contact with companies from around the world to try to persuade them to do business and create jobs here.
“It’s huge; it’ll be a challenge to work,” Sparks said of Hannover Messe. Sparks will represent Anderson and Madison County on behalf of CED, and he said the event will be the largest and best-organized trade show he’s been involved with.
“It’s best described as, ‘If it’s got metal and it moves, you need to be there,’” Dawson said of the kinds of companies that will exhibit in Hannover. She said economic development experts consider the show the mecca of such events.
The EDA trade mission selected Anderson, CED and 23 other U.S. organizations to be represented at the show, which is designed to increase American exports as well as lure direct investment from overseas.
“EDA is proud to collaborate in this important program to help U.S. communities promote themselves as strong trading partners and attractive locations for international investment,” Brian McGowan, an Economic Development Administration delegation leader, said in a statement.
Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon said in a statement that the invitation to for the city and CED to join the delegation is a recognition of the area’s “global economic development attraction efforts and the fact our city is well suited for the type of industry clusters that will attend the show.
“The city and CED feel it will be a unique opportunity to introduce Anderson to many of the companies that attend Hannover Messe each year,” he said.
Dawson and Sparks said travelling with the delegation allows EDA to set up meetings for the city and CED with companies they’d like to court. “Not often do you get to pick and choose the companies you want to meet with that are best suited for your area,” Dawson said.
“The expectation is to open some doors and build relationships that will bring investment here,” Sparks said. “But we also understand it takes time.”
Vermillion County in west central Indiana is the only other organization in the state invited to send a representative with the EDA delegation.
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
