ET Reps On Trade Mission In Germany
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
By LARISSA BRASS/knoxvillebiz.com
A group of East Tennessee economic developers will make up a chunk of the Tennessee contingent in Germany this week for meetings with potential Volkswagen suppliers.
Nine Knoxville-area representatives will be among the group of 41 state officials and business leaders on the trade mission led by Gov. Phil Bredesen.
Among those in attendance will be Doug Lawyer, director of economic development for the Knoxville chamber, Kim Denton, president of the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership; Tom Ballard, director of partnerships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and others involved in business development in counties surrounding Knoxville.
The trade mission starts with a visit on Wednesday to Volkswagen's global headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany.
The Tennessee group also will make presentations to automotive suppliers in Dusseldorf on Thursday, in Franfurt on Friday and in Munich on Monday, said Paul LaGrange, assistant commissioner of the business development division at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
While six to 10 primary suppliers will locate near the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, a number of secondary and tertiary suppliers will be looking for sites within a larger radius of the plant.
"It's our job to go out and sell the state and say we're here," LaGrange said.
Also making the trip from the Knoxville area are Bryan Daniels, Economic Development Board of Blount County; Ron Hammontree, Tellico Reservoir Development Agency; Bill Adams, Tennessee Valley Authority; Leslie Henderson, The Roane Alliance; Allen Neel, East Tennessee Economic Development Agency; and Patrick Phillips, Loudon County Economic Development Agency.
"This trade mission is an important step in Tennessee's relationship with Volkswagen and its suppliers," Bredesen said in a statement. "I'm convinced that if we make suppliers aware of Tennessee's nationally recognized business climate, we can create even more good-paying jobs for the people of Tennessee."
