We extended an invitation to visit the City of Findlay and I am very optimistic that he will accept. The University of Findlay hosts scholarship students from Saitama Prefecture every year. There are currently 3 students from Saitima attending UF this fall. The relationship between Saitima and UF is very strong as well. I look forward spending more time with the Saitima students as they continue their education in Findlay as well as to Governor Ueda's visit in 2014.
JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organization) welcomed us to their office in Tokyo. We learned more about the trends in foreign direct investment (FDI). Most interesting was that 60% of Japanese companies surveyed in 2012 expect their business to expand in the next one or two years. Most of those investments will be made for the modernization and streamlining of plants.
Business Confidence among those surveyed is on the rise and sectors that are most likely to grow faster in the next few years within the US are 1) Energy Conservation and Environment 2) Medical, Health & Beauty and 3) Electronic vehicle, Hybrid cars. It is important for us to know what these fields are because we strive to diversify our Japanese companies within the Findlay/Hancock County area.
The probability of attracting companies in the agriculture field was also discussed at length. Why not take advantage of Ohio's number one industry?
Our final stop on Wednesday was to the US Embassy where we met with "Select USA". This particular group is a in charge of a program that assists communities in attracting FDI. There are many ways that Select USA can assist us and we are looking to develop our relationship with them in the near future.
This visit has been incredible so far and I look forward to the coming days ahead.
Everyone back home should be very proud of our delegation. It is an honor to represent the Findlay/Hancock County.
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