Delegation joins Team Canada Atlantic mission to New England

Beaton Tulk, Minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development leaves today for New England where he will join seven Newfoundland and Labrador companies that are participating in a Team Canada Atlantic trade mission.

This mission, the third to the area in the last two years, provides Atlantic Canadian companies with an opportunity to explore export and trade opportunities in the fastest growing economic region in the United States.

"New England, in the midst of one of the longest economic expansions in its history, represents a key strategic market for our companies to target new commercial opportunities, increase their exports, and develop business partnerships with companies in that region of the United States," Minister Tulk said. "Making initial contact with U.S. companies is key to the process of profiling this province as a good place to do business. Giving local companies exposure to international markets helps create jobs, right here at home."

Companies participating from this province are:

� Tuckamore Wilderness Lodge, Main Brook, Great Northern Peninsula. Tuckamore Lodge provides four-star accommodations at its complex of wood-crafted, Scandinavian-style lodges. Outside Magazine has recognized Tuckamore as one of the six best lodges for encountering Canada's outdoors.
Contact: Barb Genge (709) 865-6361

� IDON East Corporation of St. John's, a company that provides customized e-learning solutions for clients and develops software applications to facilitate e-learning. Just recently the company placed as one of three finalists in the eWEEK eXCELLENCE awards.
Contact: Cathy Favre (709) 739-6262

� Dive Adventures Network, based in St. John's, is an alliance of three companies providing all-inclusive adventure tourism dive packages that include a variety of locations in eastern Newfoundland. Member companies have a total of 54 years experience in the tourism/diving industry.
Contact: Darrin Steele (709) 754-8687

� Northstar Technical of St. John's, a high technology development and manufacturing company, primarily in the areas of underwater communications systems and electronics manufacturing. Its products include NETMIND Trawl Monitoring System, a wireless net monitoring system used extensively in the fishing industry world-wide.
Contact: Don Vokey (709) 738-6440

� Rifflin Hitch Lodge, Eagle River, Labrador, provides Atlantic salmon angling and outdoor tourism experiences, as well as a retreat for corporate meetings and incentive travel groups.
Contact: Gudie Hutchings (709) 634-2000

� Rodrigues Winery, Markland, producer of a variety of wines such as Exotique Wild Blueberry Wine, Exotique Wild Lingonberry and Exotique Wild Cloudberry. It is the only Canadian winery certified by the Kashruth Council of Toronto to produce kosher wine. In 2000, the Orthodox Union approved the equivalent designation in the United States.
Contact: Larry Stephan (709) 677-2558

� Maxxim Vacations, a leading tourism tour wholesaler specializing in air-inclusive customized leisure travel packages to any of the four Atlantic provinces.
Contact: Joe Bennett (709) 754-6666

The mission agenda will be highlighted by: pre-arranged meetings in New England to help companies explore potential opportunities and partnerships, a reception with U.S. business contacts, and three days of matchmaking sessions.

Minister Tulk will be joined by the Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Robert Thibault, the trade ministers for the other Atlantic provinces, as well as about 30 companies from the other provinces. 

The minister's itinerary includes meetings with Mary Clancy, Canada's Consul General to New England, and with Anthony Cicerone, President of the New England-Canada Business Council and Chair of the Economics Department and Director of the Canadian Studies Program at Bridgewater State College.

He will also meet with the President of the Thomson Group, and tour the company's manufacturing facility at Franklin, Massachusetts. It was through an earlier trade mission to New England that first contact was made with the Thomson Group. As a result of follow-up work, the company invested in and took over as new operator of the former Steelcor operation at Buchans.

This Team Canada Atlantic mission is organized by ACOA, the four Atlantic provinces, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Industry Canada and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

Media contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Communications, (709) 729-4570.

2001 02 26                                           12:30 p.m.