Governor Gilmore Seeks Jobs, Investment, Tourism on European Trade Mission

Richmond - Governor Jim Gilmore and First Lady Roxane Gilmore, accompanied by key state economic development and tourism professionals, will lead a trade, tourism and investment mission to Europe from April 21 to May 4, 2001. The mission will promote Virginia as a thriving business center and exciting tourist destination. High-level meetings with key business executives in Germany and the United Kingdom will help facilitate positive decisions for Virginia with active business recruitment projects. 

"In a softening economy, it is more important than ever that we aggressively market Virginia in all aspects - international trade development, business investment, and the great tourism appeal of the Commonwealth," Governor Gilmore said. "I am also excited about the opportunity to officially open the Virginia exhibit and meet with Virginia companies at the Hannover Fair, the world's largest industrial technology exposition."

While at the Hannover Fair, the Governor will meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.

"This trade mission will promote Virginia products and services, position Virginia as a major technology center, and promote Virginia as a world-class tourist destination with special focus on Jamestown 2007 activities," First Lady Roxane Gilmore said. 

In Dresden, Germany, the Governor will meet with executives of Infineon Technologies and tour the state-of-the art 300-mm wafer chip plant located there. This facility is similar to the one Infineon is building in Henrico County, the first of its kind on the East Coast. Infineon will invest $1.1 billion in the new Virginia facility and create 1,100 new jobs. The Governor will meet with Boehringer Ingelheim executives in Frankfurt during the mission. With a recent investment of $52 million, the company continues to expand its Petersburg pharmaceutical plant.

In Scotland, the Governor will meet with high-ranking technology executives at an event hosted by the Scottish Council Foundation, a governance policy organization providing leadership for e-Government. He will also meet with the head of the Scottish Executive, First Minister Henry McLeisch.

Governor and Mrs. Gilmore will meet with tourism leaders and media in Frankfurt, Germany and London, England, to promote Virginia's historical assets and golf resorts. In preparation for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007, Governor Gilmore will lead a tourism presentation at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate in London, burial place of Captain John Smith. Mrs. Gilmore will visit Otley Hall in the country of Suffolk, England, once home to Bartholomew Gosnold, who, along with Smith, helped found the Jamestown colony in 1607.

The final stop of the mission will be in Dublin, Ireland, where Governor Gilmore will meet with top government officials and business executives including President Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.

Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry E. DuVal, Secretary of Transportation Shirley J. Ybarra, Secretary of Technology Donald W. Upson, Mark R. Kilduff, Executive Director of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and Gayle Morgan Vail, President of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, are among those to accompany the Governor and First Lady.

During his administration, Governor Gilmore has conducted trade missions to South America and Asia as well as a previous trip to Germany and the United Kingdom. Results from these past missions include:

ERNI Components executives participated with Governor Gilmore on the South American mission. This month, the company announced an expansion at its Chesterfield facility creating 550 new jobs through an investment of $98.4 million.

Governor Gilmore opened new Virginia international trade offices in Brazil and Korea.

The Governor announced that Chantilly, Virginia-based Environmental Products Corporation signed a distribution agreement to export container-recycling equipment to Boa Hora/Tech Lix, a Brazilian environmental remediation firm. 

During his South American mission, Governor Gilmore revealed that Virginia Tech Library Systems, Inc. signed a contract to supply library-cataloging software to the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

While in Brazil, the Governor announced that Pittston Coal Company, based in Lebanon, Virginia, renewed a sales agreement to export coal to Brazil's major steel companies.

VFP, Inc., a participant with Governor Gilmore on the South American trade mission, expanded in December of 1999, investing $1.2 million and creating 100 new jobs in Scott County.

FastComm, a Loudoun County-based firm, first came into contact with Mapra Eletronica Ltda. at the Comdex Trade Show in Buenos Aires, during Governor Gilmore's mission. The two companies later entered an agreement in which FastComm supplied the Brazilian market with its advanced voice/fax/video/data router product lines.

While in Taiwan, Governor Gilmore announced that Virginia garnered Evergreen Marine Corporation's container ship service between the U.S. East Coast and Asia. The additional business created up to 213 new direct jobs in Virginia and up to $7 million in new wages.

In Korea, the Governor announced that the Korean Small & Medium Business Administration will open a Korean Venture Center in Fairfax County. The facility is dedicated to expanding Korean and Korean-American companies in the American market.

Governor Gilmore's meeting with Boehringer Ingelheim during his 1998 mission to Europe, laid the groundwork for the company's recent expansion amounting to $52 million. 

Governor Gilmore announced that Innovations in Transportation, Inc. (INIT), a German-based company, decided to locate its North American headquarters in the City of Chesapeake. INIT is a leading provider of computer-integrated Intelligent Transportation Systems throughout Europe and the United States. The headquarters facility resulted in 100 new jobs and an investment of $2 million. Governor Gilmore personally met with INIT executives in Germany in 1998.