Cleveland Mayor Jackson, GCP, SME Union & others embark on European economic development mission

Friday, November 13, 2009

Meetings set in Bulgaria Nov. 15-19

Cleveland, Ohio – Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson will lead an economic development mission to Sofia, Bulgaria, Nov. 15-19, 2009, in collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SME) Union and the U.S. Commercial Service. The group will include executives from the City, the GCP, SME Union, Team NEO, the private-sector business attraction organization for the Cleveland Plus region, and the Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), an economic development partnership representing 10 Northeast Ohio counties.

Mayor Jackson and the delegation will work to create a framework for future economic development activity between the Northeast Ohio business community and European companies with the help of the SME Union. The SME Union works in partnership with the Eurochambers, which is the umbrella organization of the largest Chambers of Commerce in Europe and has a membership of nearly 20 million small and mid-sized businesses. SME Union has 48 offices in 37 European Countries and Cleveland is the only US Office.

“It is important that we continue to create new relationships with members of the global community. Efforts over the last several months are starting to bear fruit in some cases and take root in others,” said Mayor Frank Jackson. “These trade missions present opportunities to educate the world market about Cleveland’s strengths. We have several competitive advantages to offer international companies, including lower business costs, a strong transportation infrastructure and a central location.”

The groundwork for this trip was laid in December 2008 when Mayor Jackson led a delegation to Belgium to meet with members of the SME Union. In March 2009, the SME Union’s vice-president, Nadezhda Mihaylova spoke at GCP’s Annual Meeting in conjunction with the opening of the SME Union’s U.S. headquarters in Cleveland. In April 2009, Mayor Jackson was invited by then U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, the Honorable Nancy McEldowney, and Mrs. Mihaylova to visit Bulgaria to explore new business opportunities.

“This trip will provide representatives from both the private and public sectors with an opportunity to better understand how we can build connections for SME Union companies interested in doing business in Cleveland and our companies that want to create or enhance their presence in Europe,” said Joe Roman, the GCP’s president and chief executive officer. “It’s important that we leverage our relationship with SME Union to expand international trade opportunities that could lead to job creation and investment in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.”

Working with the Cleveland Foundation and the GCP, Mayor Jackson cemented a partnership that will culminate with the signing of a Cooperative Agreement between the GCP and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) during the trip. In addition, while in Bulgaria, the Cleveland delegation will work to:

  • Create a strategy for attracting European businesses and companies to the U.S.; and

  • Identify a number of European companies to be invited to Cleveland during the SME Union’s first annual North American symposium in 2010 that will help connect U.S. and Bulgarian companies as well as create an international database for ongoing business development.

Participants will attend several networking meetings and events hosted by the Bulgarian Parliament Economic and Healthcare Committee; the Bulgarian Government Ministers of Economy and Healthcare; and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where an “Invest in America: Destination Cleveland” program will be presented. The U.S. Commercial Service office in Sofia is scheduling appointments with potential Bulgarian buyers for participating Northeast Ohio companies. The group also will attend a dinner hosted by Mrs. Mihaylova.

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