Recent International Meetings a Springboard to SEUS//CP Conference

Three companies from Newfoundland and Labrador recently returned to the province following successful business-to-business meetings in the Southeastern United States (SEUS) region. Signifying growing interest for further business and trade among partners in both jurisdictions, the meetings pave the way to the upcoming Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS//CP) conference scheduled for July 26-28, 2009.

�Initiatives of this nature enable local companies to engage in positive one-on-one meetings with potential buyers and trading partners,� said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. �The Provincial Government continues to collaborate with local companies and organizations to identify new markets and opportunities in the SEUS region which, in recent years, has emerged as a prime location for conducting business and trade.�

The meetings took place in June with companies visiting various states on individual schedules.

The Torngait Ujaganniavingit Corporation (TUC), a natural stone manufacturer from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and MUSICNL, a St. John�s-based music industry association, attended meetings throughout parts of Georgia.

�The response received in Atlanta was exceedingly positive,� said Leander Baikie, International Sales and Marketing Manager, TUC. �Our Blue Eyes granite from Labrador is well-known and a cherished material in the stone industry. We linked with key stone suppliers in the United States marketplace and have been invited back to explore new business opportunities with the main buying offices of three major stone companies.�

�Our visit to the SEUS region provided great exposure for Newfoundland and Labrador�s music industry,� said Denis Parker, Executive Director, MUSICNL. �A high level of interest was expressed in the work of our local artists. Overall, the mission opened the door to great opportunities which I will be promoting to our membership.�

Compusult Limited, an information and communications technology company from Mount Pearl, focused its attention on opportunities in Alabama and North Carolina.

�Our company met with several organizations involved in defence and geospatial applications in Alabama and North Carolina,� said Paul Mitten, Vice-President, Compusult Limited. �We identified several good prospects for new business and partnering opportunities in both states and are already pursuing a new contract in collaboration with one of those organizations.�

Businesses will be trying to capitalize on these growing ties at the second annual SEUS//CP conference later this month in St. John�s. The conference is expected to attract approximately 250 Canadian and United States business and government leaders.

�Newfoundland and Labrador is proud to be hosting this year�s SEUS//CP conference,� said Minister Skinner. �The 2009 conference will focus on advancing three key growth sectors � advanced manufacturing, energy, and ocean technologies. These sectors represent areas where Newfoundland and Labrador companies are leaders and we anticipate productive exchange among conference delegates and real economic benefits for our province. In today�s shifting global economy, it is necessary for jurisdictions to come together to cultivate opportunities for prosperity and growth, resulting in enhanced commercial exchange, trade and investment, and knowledge-sharing.�
Established in 2007, the SEUS//CP Alliance is a strategic trade and investment-focused partnership between six southeastern states (Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama) and seven Canadian provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba). Delegations from these jurisdictions, led by state governors and provincial premiers, or their designates, consist of business and industry leaders from a wide array of business sectors.
Newfoundland and Labrador has experienced significant export growth in the SEUS region. In 2008, $228 million worth of our world-class products and services were exported to the area. Heavily impacted by a growing market for the province�s natural resources, this represented an increase of 80 per cent over the previous year, representing the highest growth rate among the Canadian Alliance members.

Meetings were facilitated by representatives from the trade and export development division of the Department of Innovation, Trade, and Rural Development (INTRD). This division helps companies focus on export development, identifies prospects, prepares companies to do business in foreign countries, and provides funding to assist with travel.

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2009 07 17                     11:20 a.m.