Hi, I’m Mike Philpot with the West Tennessee
Industrial Association here with the US Commercial

Service of EDA in Hannover Germany, and we’re
working on this trade and investment mission

together with our partners across the country
and across the state of Tennessee.

And I’m Trevor Hamilton. I’m Vice President
of Economic Development with the Chattanooga

Area Chamber of Commerce and you know, it’s
quite refreshing for us as local EDO’s to

see the Department of Commerce this actively
involved and engaged in not only promoting

global trade worldwide but also using its
resources and connections around the world

through US commercial service to look for
foreign direct investment opportunities for

communities like ourselves.

Absolutely. It’s opportunities like this
that give us the opportunity to take a global

message from the local bases to the world
and to the world market place. So being able

to come here and collectively work together
to market the US as well as Tennessee just

gives us some added advantages and opportunities.

And gives us an added value by being able
to participate in a show of this global magnitude,

and being part of the US-led delegation that
gives us the ability to do things that are

hard for us to do at the local level, as a
local community. I don’t think it makes

any sense for either one of us to invest in
a trade show of this magnitude, on our own

as a community. But given the resources of
the US government behind us and helping us

to promote the United States to foreign markets
holds great potential advantages to us as

local communities, states and regions across
the United States.

Absolutely. And again, just to kind of echo
what he’s saying there. With the Economic

Development Administration, US Commercial
Service, and the Invest in USA, it just broadens

our reach. And I guess almost gives us instant
credibility if you will, as we’re here,

we have a presence, we’re in a very good
location, and collectively are able to leverage

that opportunity and that network if you will,
to tell our message about why people should

do business in Tennessee and in the United
States.

I think we hope to go home and if nothing
else but having better built better relationships

and bridges here in the European market for
companies that might be interested in joint

venture and trade opportunities with companies
in our regions or quite frankly, identifying

companies that might have investment opportunities
in the US and would want to find communities

or states and regions that are a good fit
for a location.

I’m hoping that we can bring more of our
communities, some of our community leaders

in the future, because a show of this size
and magnitude really emphasizes what the global

market is all about. It really moves it from
the local perception and concept to the global

marketplace, so this is a great venue.