Published: October 08, 2006 11:49 pm            

Reps selling region overseas

They came from far-away places such as France, China, Germany, Taiwan and Brazil.

They toured local spots including the Gamesa plant in Ebensburg and Martin-Baker America in Geistown on Thursday.

They were greeted, welcomed and addressed by a slew of representatives from across the Southern Alleghenies region.

In a week, they will return to their homelands with one explicit mission – sell Pennsylvania.

“They” are the overseas representatives of the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Office of International Business Development. All are English-speaking natives of other countries contracted by the commonwealth to act as authorized representatives in global economic development activities.

“They’re our eyes and ears overseas,” said Caroline Williamson, director of strategic sectors for the Office of International Business Development’s Center for Direct Investment. “They do all the firsthand networking with foreign businesses on behalf of the state.”

The state’s push to encourage greater investment by foreign entities in Pennsylvania, as well as the marketing of products abroad, began under the administration of former Gov. Tom Ridge. In recent years, the efforts have blossomed into strong results.

From 2002 through 2004, annual exports by Pennsylvania companies increased by 17.3 percent to $18.5 billion. And in 2004 and 2005, the number of foreign companies with a Pennsylvania presence increased to 4 percent of the national total from 3 percent in the prior two-year period.

And the results have been evident in this region. Cambria and Somerset counties are home to seven foreign-held businesses representing five countries – Sweden, Spain, Canada, Brazil and Britain.

That bodes well for attracting more foreign investment to the region, said Richard Kilner, who represents the state in Britain and Italy from his office in London.

Kilner, who has worked for the state since 1998, was part of the process that attracted Martin Baker to the region. He said having trailblazers such as Martin Baker and North America Hoganas, the region’s first two foreign-owned entities, opens many doors abroad.

“It’s the biggest thing foreign investors look for,” Kilner said.

“The first question they ask is what other European companies are in the region.

“You must be able to demonstrate that the region can support foreign business. It’s helping us right now as we’re in the process of trying to lure several of Martin Baker’s suppliers to set up shop in the region.”

Linda Thomson of Johnstown Area Regional Industries, which hosted the visit of the foreign representatives, said her agency’s prior work in luring foreign investment has been beneficial.

In the past two years, JARI has assisted in bringing Spain-based Gamesa, Norway’s Kongsberg Defense Corp., and Canada-based ODIM Spectrum and Samuel and Son to the region.

“We have an advantage in that we have worked with foreign companies and understand the growing pains they face when deciding to come to the U.S.,” Thomson said. “We know what kind of assistance they are going to need and walk them through every step.

“I think being able to offer that kind of personal assistance has been very helpful in luring foreign investment into the region.”

Alberto Gros, site manager for Gamesa’s Ebensburg operation, said that personal touch played a large role in the company’s decision to build in Cambria County.

Gros, in turn, took an active role in hosting the state’s foreign agents on Thursday.

Gros shared a success story – noting how Gamesa has flourished at a rate much faster than expected. The plant, which opened in June, is operating at full capacity and has orders that will take it through 2009.

“I did this because I would have liked someone to do this for me,” Gros said. “I know how helpful it was for us to have Martin Baker and other foreign companies giving us insight into what doing business here would be like.

“Although conducting business here is very similar to Europe, it’s good to hear from someone who has been through the experience.”

Thursday was the first day of an exhaustive schedule that will have the representatives criss-crossing the state until they depart a week from today.

For Hanne Jeppsson, the commonwealth’s representative in Spain, the visit to Pennsylvania was her first after only recently joining the state’s overseas team. She said it was an eye-opening experience, although she at one time lived in Washington, D.C., while attending Georgetown University.

“This helps because you get a much more clear idea of what you’re selling,” Jeppsson said.

“You’re much more connected with what you’re talking about.

“Everything in this world is based on connecting with other people. And when you have a more intimate knowledge of what you’re talking about, it shows. When I return to Spain and meet with companies, they will see it.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.