European Trade Mission Yields Promising Prospects

Advantage Valley sponsored its third trade mission to Europe in November and while the trip was physically demanding, it has resulted in several requests for additional information from interested companies.

Advantage Valley has previously sponsored international trade missions in partnership with the State of West Virginia, the Charleston Alliance, the Putnam County Development Authority, the Huntington Area Development Council and the state’s trade office in Munich, Germany

This year’s mission included stops in Denmark, Germany and Sweden with long trips required between meetings with business leaders. The Advantage Valley team met with more than one dozen business leaders who indicated that they had potential projects to discuss.

“The Euro’s strength against the dollar provides great opportunities for foreign investment in North America,” said Putnam County Development Authority Executive Director Gary Walton, who added, “face-to-face meetings with key business decision makers abroad are critical to the long-term success of economic development efforts in the Advantage Valley region.”

Local economic development agencies and the state development office have been compiling data requests from several companies visited on the most recent mission. Advantage Valley is the only region of the state that fosters international development.