CHICAGO – Delivering on a promise to increase direct foreign investment in the North Central region, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns team will escort a delegation of 24 Chicago-based, foreign trade commissioners representing 21 countries to Bloomington-Normal next Tuesday, September 20th. The reverse foreign trade mission, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), is designed to capitalize on the presence of foreign trade offices in Chicago and Illinois’ status as a world-class, strategic location to promote the region as a great place for direct foreign investment and to provide the strategic links needed to increase exports from the region.
“Attracting new investment and fostering international trade relationships plays a vital role in achieving our common goal of building a more robust, prosperous regional economy. Bloomington-Normal has a wealth of attributes to offer investors, and this reverse trade mission gives us a tremendous opportunity to showcase those attributes to the international business community and continue developing relationships that can pay major economic dividends,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
During their visit, the foreign delegation will become acquainted with the strengths and competitive advantages of the North Central region, including a highly educated workforce fueled by the area’s many strong schools and universities; a highly technical workforce shaped by a local population with a great degree of training in information technology, programming, robotics and advanced manufacturing systems; a reputation as a transportation hub with three major interstates and the most productive and efficient commercial airport in Central Illinois; and a tremendous quality of life which not only helps attract new businesses to the area, but also retains its predominantly young, highly-skilled workforce.
Upon arriving in Bloomington-Normal in the morning, the delegation will head to Mitsubishi Motors for a presentation and tour at 9:30am. At 11:00am, the delegation will then tour the cities of Bloomington and Normal to see their several notable businesses and sites. Lunch at the Radisson Hotel, located at 10 Brickyard Drive in Bloomington, will follow at 11:30am. The lunch will include presentations by area business and civic leaders, including Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton and Normal Mayor Chris Koos. In the afternoon, the delegation will visit Illinois State University at 1:15pm, where it will receive a presentation courtesy of Dixie Mills, Dean of the College of Business. At 2:00pm, the delegation will go to the Central Illinois Airport for an intermodal transportation presentation, before concluding the day at the Illinois State University farm from 3:00 - 4:30pm.
“Gov. Blagojevich and I believe that this region has a great many assets which are very appealing to the international business community, and this trade mission will provide tremendous opportunities for our local business and industry to form fruitful partnerships. On Tuesday, we’ll truly welcome the world to Bloomington-Normal, and that is something we can all take pride in,” said State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington).
Key local partners in helping stage this initiative include the EDC of Bloomington-Normal, the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and the Bloomington-Normal area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
“Gov. Blagojevich has a real vision of how to best build upon the solid foundation of this region and stimulate more widespread growth, and attracting investment from abroad will help accomplish that by strengthening and diversifying our economic portfolio. With this reverse trade mission, the international business community will see all Bloomington-Normal has to offer, and we’re optimistic that they will want to be a part of the vibrant economic future taking shape here,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
The countries represented by the delegation of foreign trade commissioners are: Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine and Wales.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.