Lt. Governor Kleefisch departs Monday for weeklong trade mission to Mexico

Rebecca Kleefisch. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.

MADISON, WI. June 12, 2017 – Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch will leave Wisconsin Monday for a weeklong trade mission to Mexico that will focus on increasing the state’s exports to that country and encouraging Mexican companies to invest in Wisconsin.

During the trade mission, executives from three Wisconsin companies also will engage in personalized, one-on-one meetings with potential business partners coordinated by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), which is hosting the trip.

Lt. Governor Kleefisch, along with Katy Sinnott, vice president of international business development, and other WEDC staff, will take part in separate, private one-on-one meetings with Mexican companies to discuss expansion or investment opportunities in Wisconsin.

“For the first time ever, Wisconsin exports to Mexico exceeded the $3 billion mark in 2016, and that’s a trend we want to see continue as we work with companies to increase exports to that country,” Lt. Governor Kleefisch said. “At the same time, this mission also provides a great opportunity for us to make a strong case for why companies in Mexico should consider investing in Wisconsin.”

Highlights of the mission include:

• Two CEO roundtable discussions – in Monterrey on Tuesday and in Mexico City on Thursday. During those meetings, more than 20 C-suite executives from Mexican companies that have existing business ties in the U.S. will learn about opportunities to expand their businesses in Wisconsin and the benefits of investing in Wisconsin.
• A Foreign Direct Investment Roundtable in Monterrey on Tuesday with site selection, financial, legal and consulting companies, all of whom play key roles in location decisions for Mexican companies. At that meeting, participants will receive information on Wisconsin’s key industry strengths and business climate that they can share with their clients.
• A meeting with CONAGUA, Mexico’s national water authority, which is responsible for managing and protecting the country’s water resources. At that meeting, Lt. Governor Kleefisch and WEDC officials will highlight Wisconsin’s strengths in the water technology sector and how Wisconsin companies in that sector may be able to help CONAGUA meet its objectives.
• On Wednesday, Lt. Governor Kleefisch will meet in Mexico City with officials of Mexico’s Ministry of Economy and ProMéxico, an organization that supports the internationalization of Mexican companies. At that meeting, the parties are expected to Identify areas of collaboration to meet their respective objectives for exports and inbound investment.
• On Thursday, Lt. Governor Kleefisch will meet with Eduardo Presa, deputy secretary for international affairs and economic development, and Jose Antonio Perez Cabrera, the undersecretary of economic development for the Mexican state of Querétaro. The meeting will focus on assessing possible areas of collaboration that will benefit both states.
• WEDC will host an “Opportunity in Wisconsin” networking reception on Thursday evening in Mexico City. Roberta Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, will engage with the delegation at the reception and will meet privately with Lt. Governor Kleefisch. The reception will host more than 50 companies with operations or interest in Wisconsin and industry organizations in Mexico. The event will provide Lt. Governor Kleefisch and WEDC staff with the opportunity to further promote the industry strengths and business development opportunities in Wisconsin.

The 13-member delegation will return to Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday.

The trade mission comes as the quantity of goods and services exported from Wisconsin to Mexico continues to grow. In 2016, Wisconsin exports to Mexico increased by nearly 3 percent from 2015; by comparison, total U.S. exports to Mexico fell by 2 percent.

This is WEDC’s third business development trip to Mexico. In June 2016, Governor Scott Walker led a Wisconsin delegation that included officials from WEDC and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on a business development mission to Mexico City and Guadalajara. In February 2016, WEDC hosted a trade venture to Mexico that included representatives of seven Wisconsin companies, and the Madison Region Economic Partnership.

About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network. Visit www.inwisconsin.com or follow WEDC on Twitter @_InWisconsin to learn more.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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