By Kirk Johannesen, The Republic
johannesen@therepublic.com
Gov. Mitch Daniels' fifth economic development mission to Asia to attract investment locally will utilize contacts cultivated by Columbus and Cummins Inc.
Daniels will be in China Monday through Sept. 11 and in Japan Sept. 11 through 16.
"Several of the meetings we're going to participate in are with companies we introduced to the state," said Corey Carr, president of Columbus Economic Development Board.
Ryan Hou, president of LHP Technologies, said he believes Columbus has as many or more Chinese contacts than any other city in the state.
"Columbus is at the forefront with Chinese investment and building up relationships with them and passing company names over to the state offices in Beijing to promote businesses and Columbus," Hou said.
Daniels' first event in Shanghai is one for manufacturing suppliers and will be hosted by Cummins Inc. Daniels will meet with local officials and representatives from Shanghai Foreign Commerce Commission, which oversees all inbound and outbound investment for Shanghai Province.
Steve Chapman, Cummins Inc. group vice president for China and Russia, who is based in China, will assist with Monday's event in Shanghai.
Cultivating contacts
Hou and Carr will stay with the state delegation for five days and then break off for other scheduled meetings for nine days. Besides Shanghai, they'll also visit Columbus' sister city Wuxi, Hangzhou, Fuzhou and Beijing.
"There are a number of companies we'll be working on. We have a couple meetings set up with several companies to talk to us about their interest in coming to the U.S.," Carr said.
Some are manufacturing companies looking for distribution help or sales offices, others are software and alternative energy companies, he said.
Carr and Hou also will meet with Techtop Industries, a Chinese company that partnered with LHP to create Techtop LHP, which manufactures, assembles and distributes electric motors, pumps and generators.
Making connections
"(Techtop's) parent company in China is helping us meet other companies in China," Carr said.
Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., will travel to Japan on Sept. 13 to participate with the state delegation for some events, and to also conduct some meetings by himself.
He'll meet with Aisin, Seiki and Seymour Tubing's parent companies, Sumitomo Pipe and Mitsui, to maintain relationships and to explore new business opportunities.
Maintaining relationships is a reason why Aisin announced in March a $17.2 million investment in machinery for its two Seymour locations, despite the economic downturn in the auto industry, Plump said.
Other companies he'll talk with concerning possible investment in Jackson County are involved with manufacturing and distribution.
While Plump won't travel to China, a consultant who works with Jackson County will be traveling with the state delegation to China and will represent the county, Plump said.