Print |
E-mail to a friend
BUSINESS
Both Japanese and German representatives visit HADCO
By BEN FIELDS
HUNTINGTON -- The Tri-State has a lot to offer foreign investors, officials say, particular in times of a weaker U.S. dollar.
That's why officials with the Huntington Area Development Corp. were meeting with trade managers who represent the state of West Virginia in Japan and Europe Tuesday afternoon.
Jerry McDonald, president of HADCO, gave a brief presentation hitting the highlights of what the Huntington area has to offer potential business to give those representatives information to take back overseas to potential clients.
Those assets included the area's strong steel industry, medical industry and emerging biotechnology field, along with the new commercial possibilities that are emerging with Marshall University's intensified interest in areas of scientific research.
HADCO also has an industrial park with a 100,000 square foot shell building just waiting for something to fill it.
The infrastructure is in place, McDonald said, all the area needs are the investors to bring the jobs here.
"The Huntington area comes up a lot when we are looking for matches within the state of West Virginia for European companies, because of what it has to offer," said Sven Gerzer, who works out of Munich as the director of the West Virginia European Office.
Gerzer said European countries are certainly interested in metal works, and there is an emerging interest in biotechnology.
"We can work with that as well in trying to bring people here," he said.
Kazuyo Mizutani, the deputy director of West Virginia's office in Japan, said Huntington's location and accessibility to a variety of major markets is a draw for Japanese investors.
"The location is great," she said.
"We also like the fact that it is part of the nation's largest inland port," added Atsuko Murayama, trade and general affairs manager at the Japanese office.
Mizutani said Japanese companies are largely looking to make investments in industry and autoworks within the United States.
