GCP signs cooperation agreement with Bulgarian chamber of commerce

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Cleveland, Ohio—The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) have taken the first step in what is expected to be a long and productive relationship by signing an agreement of cooperation between the two chambers. The agreement was signed last week in Sofia, Bulgaria, as part of an economic development mission that included private- and public-sector representation from Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Participants included GCP President and CEO Joe Roman, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, and representatives from Team NEO, the private-sector business attraction organization for the Cleveland Plus region, the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SME) Union, a business organization with operations in 38 European countries and access to about 20 million small and mid-sized businesses, the Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium (NEOTEC), an economic development partnership representing 10 Northeast Ohio counties, and business executive Sheilagh Roth, founder and executive director of the English Nanny & Governess School.

“This agreement creates the framework for win-win opportunities for GCP and our Bulgarian counterparts,“ said GCP President and CEO Joe Roman. He noted that the GCP will work with the City of Cleveland and Team NEO to provide assistance to both Bulgarian companies that wish to expand or establish operations in the City of Cleveland and the broader Cleveland Plus region, and GCP/COSE members that are interested in doing business in Bulgaria.

Planned outcomes of the agreement include:

  • Facilitating reciprocal visits by GCP/COSE and BCCI small and medium-size member companies to increase economic and trade exchanges through joint ventures and technical cooperation;
  • Utilizing reciprocal visits between representatives of the two organizations to discuss business and economic development issues that could lead to joint ventures, business expansion and technical cooperation;
  • Organizing a business symposium for companies from Bulgaria and other SME Union countries to introduce them to potential business opportunities in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Planning has begun for a meeting to be held in Cleveland in Spring 2010.

The relationship between the GCP and the BCCI has evolved from the opening of the SME Union’s U.S. office in Cleveland at the GCP last March, an arrangement supported by a grant from the Cleveland Foundation and facilitated by the City of Cleveland. In remarks at the GCP’s Annual Meeting, SME Union Vice President Nadezhda Neinsky, said that addressing international economic challenges will require new kinds of collaborations, citing the opening of the SME Union's U.S. office in Cleveland as an example.

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As an association of business members, the Greater Cleveland Partnership mobilizes private-sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and leverage investment to improve the economic vitality of the region.

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