Team Canada Atlantic Arrives In Orlando for Trade Mission 

A group of 41 Atlantic Canadian companies and organizations arrived yesterday in Orlando, Florida, to explore the business opportunities that the sunshine state has to offer.  This is one of the largest delegations participating in a Team Canada Atlantic return trade mission, visiting Orlando, Tampa and Miami from October 29 to November 2, 2006.

Senator Donald Oliver is leading the Team Canada Atlantic trade mission on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).  Provincial ministers are representing the four Atlantic Canadian provinces. 

�Canada�s new government recognizes that trade missions, like Team Canada Atlantic�s return to the Florida market, are an important way to help Atlantic Canadian companies make valuable international contacts and increase their export sales,� said Minister MacKay.  �Past Team Canada Atlantic trade missions have helped participating companies generate in excess of $37million in export sales.� 

"The export of goods and services is one of the best ways of growing the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.  �A number of our companies have secured contracts on previous trade missions and I am confident that we will be successful in the Florida market.� 

Over the next few days, the Team Canada Atlantic companies will meet face-to-face with potential agents, brokers, distributors and strategic partners in Orlando, Tampa and Miami with the objective of securing business deals and having their products distributed in Florida.  The Florida market offers export opportunities in the areas of advanced manufacturing; aerospace and defence; agri-food and seafood; building and construction products; consumer products; information and communications technology; life sciences; and ocean industries. 

Today, Team Canada Atlantic activities included a forum in Tampa, Florida, entitled, Ocean Technology � The Convergence of Need, Research, Development and Production.  The forum provided elected officials, senior government officials and industry associations the opportunity to discuss emerging technologies that are helping to build a robust ocean technology industry in Florida and Atlantic Canada. 

Tonight, Team Canada Atlantic is hosting a Taste of Atlantic Canada reception in Orlando to showcase Atlantic Canadian food and seafood products to over 250 U.S. industry leaders and business representatives.  Chefs Kimball Bernard and Linda Hellingman of the Culinary Institute of Canada will feature an Atlantic Canada-inspired menu with food products from AgraWest Foods, Ocean Choice International, PEI Mussel King Inc, and Mersey Point Fish Products Ltd. 

This Team Canada Atlantic trade mission is a follow-up to the first trade mission to Florida in May 2006. 

Team Canada Atlantic is a partnership of ACOA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Industry Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the four Atlantic Canadian provinces.  Eleven previous Team Canada Atlantic trade missions � to the New England states, Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago � have helped 360 Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs to meet with close to 3,000 agents and business owners from across the United States, resulting in export sales of more than of $37 million. 

Visit www.teamcanadaatlantic.com for more information.  

Media contacts

 Background Information 

List of Participating Companies and Organizations
Delegates� profiles are available online at www.teamcanadaatlantic.ca  

Nova Scotia
Returning
Burnt Out Solutions Inc. (New Minas); Lunenburg Foundry & Engineering Ltd. (Lunenburg)
 
New
Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Nova Scotia (Halifax); A Palmer Training Ltd. (Fall River); Mersey Point Fish Products Ltd. (Port Mouton); Lasec Enterprises Ltd. (Debert); Artifacts in Clay (Chester) 

New Brunswick
Returning
Cube Automation (Tracadie-Sheila); New Brunswick Aerospace and Defence Association (Fredericton); P & E Manufacturing Ltd. (Bas-Cap-Pel�); Provinent Corporation (Fredericton); Belledune Port Authority (Belledune) 

New
Mariner Partners Inc. (Saint John); Triangle Kitchen (Dieppe); Al-Pack Enterprises Ltd. (Moncton); Lexi-tech International (Dieppe); CliniCall Inc. (Saint John); Fiready Inc. (Clair); Tin Design (Sackville); Estey Creations (Fredericton) 

Newfoundland and Labrador
Returning
Tiller Engineering Inc. (St. John�s); Compusult Ltd. (St. John�s); MedicLINK (St. John�s); Tacamor (Placentia); Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries (St.John�s) 

New
Holly Howard Inc. (Conception Bay South); Pixecur Technologies Inc. (St. John�s); Dynamic Air Shelters (Grand Bank); Continental Stone Ltd. (St. John�s); Marine Institute (St. John�s); CCMC (St. John's)
 
Prince Edward Island
Returning
WebSMB Solutions (Charlottetown)
 
New
Aerospace Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown); Chandlers Cabinets & Millwork (Charlottetown); Vision Research Inc. (Charlottetown); Agrawest Investments (Souris); Ocean Choice International (Souris); P.E.I. Mussel King (1994) Inc. (Morell); Cavendish Figurines Ltd. (Borden-Carleton); Happy Glass (Charlottetown); Where Pigs Fly (Tyne Valley)