Indianapolis, Ind. -- Indy Partnership Business Development Director Kristie McKillip departs for Germany today on a trade mission promoting the 10-county Indianapolis Region. It is McKillip’s third trip to Germany in 10 months.
According to a July 2009 Indiana University Kelley School of Business report for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), more than 65 percent of the foreign direct investment in the state of Indiana comes from Europe, and Germany-based employers represent about 14 percent of all companies and all dollar investment of foreign origin in the Indianapolis Region.
Indy Partnership President & CEO Ron Gifford—who just returned from traveling with Governor Daniels on the state’s trade mission to China and Japan—said Indy Partnership is directing its economic development resources toward those areas that offer the greatest potential return on investment as well as have the highest likelihood for bringing new jobs to Central Indiana.
“More than 14,000 new Indiana jobs have come from Europe since 2004,” Gifford said. “Maintaining good working relationships with current partners and introducing new European companies to the Indianapolis Region is both prudent and proactive.”
The trade mission has been planned in cooperation with IEDC’s Director of International Development Steve Akard, Michael Krueger and Mariya Gandzhova with IEDC Europe, and Duke Energy and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEIRP) who are also sending representatives on the trip.
McKillip has 23 confirmed meetings with German advanced manufacturing companies and renewable energy firms over the 11-day mission, including meetings with several prospects who already have sales offices in Central Indiana.
“My goals in Europe are the same as they are domestically: to deliver the message that the Indianapolis Region is one of the world’s most competitive locations for business and to back it up with data and case studies,” McKillip said.
In addition to the prearranged meetings with manufacturers, chambers of commerce and other economic development prospects, McKillip will represent the Indianapolis Region at three different trade shows. These trade shows include Motek 2009 international exhibition for industrial automation in Stuttgart, RENEXPO 2009 renewable energy trade fair in Augsburg, and FachPack 2009 packaging and labeling technology exhibition in Nuremburg.
Similar to Ron Gifford’s daily blog and frequent Twitter updates from Governor Daniels’ trade mission to China and Japan, McKillip will take advantage of both technologies to keep Indy Partnership investors and community partners apprised of her economic development activities while in Germany. Visit http://blog.indypartnership.com/blog/news-from-the-road- to read McKillip’s blog and http://twitter.com/KDMcKillip to receive her Twitter updates.
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