Utah Governor Concludes Western European Trade Mission at Paris Air Show
Paris, France (PRWEB) June 18, 2015 -- Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, along with key officials from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, attended the Paris Air Show, the last stop on Governor Herbert’s European trade mission.
“Our message about Utah’s vibrant aerospace industry was well-received at the Paris Air Show,” Governor Herbert said. “We contribute in composite fiber manufacturing and corporate aircraft construction—including contributions to the largest commercial aircraft on the market. Utah is recognized worldwide for filling a critical part of the aerospace industry, and we want to grow in this exciting field.”
The International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France is the largest and longest-running aerospace trade show in the world. Running every other year, 2015 marks the 51st show. With more than 2,000 exhibitors from 44 countries, 139,000 professional visitors, 3,100 international journalists and 285 official delegations from 102 countries, the show is a key point in the global aerospace industry’s economic cycle. It is an essential event for meeting aviation and space industry professionals, discovering the latest innovations and showcasing Utah’s aerospace companies and suppliers.
Representatives have previously attended the event, but this is the first year that Utah has attended as an official booth exhibitor. The state supported multiple companies with their own exhibit space and hosted three Utah companies, SyberJet, Kaddas Enterprises and IMSAR, in the state booth.
Governor Herbert and trade mission delegates spent the day promoting job growth and investment in the state’s growing aerospace sector, which currently includes 105 companies and employs more than 21,000 workers. Governor Herbert met with several key aerospace leaders—many with Utah ties—including Boeing CEO Jim McNerney and representatives from Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and Harris (formerly known as Exelis).
Governor Herbert also met with Nick Stanage, president and CEO of Hexcel, a world leader in carbon fiber and composite material production. According to Stanage, more and more planes are being made from composite materials. The Airbus A-350, for example, is 53 percent composite, and much of that is produced in West Valley City, Utah. Stanage called the Utah location a “world-class facility” and stated that they expect to continue to grow in the state.
“The Paris Air Show provides the largest international audience for Utah’s aerospace industry,” said Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “It provides a global stage for our business and government leaders to promote Utah as a premier global business destination for aerospace and aviation.”
At Utah’s exhibition booth the governor visited with the Utah company leaders and underscored Utah’s continued commitment to aerospace-related education and workforce training programs. This fall the college of engineering at Utah State University will offer a new Ph.D. program in aerospace engineering, and a consortium of six Utah aerospace companies are joining with the state public education system and applied technology colleges to launch a new aerospace education program that will be formally announced later this summer.
In addition to aerospace promotion, the delegation seized the opportunity of being in France to meet with executives from international companies such as BioMérieux, a French in vitro diagnostics company that recently acquired Utah’s BioFire, an infectious disease diagnostic company. The governor and company officials met to discuss expanded partnership and investment opportunities in the state.
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Editor’s Note: This event is part of the 2015 Utah Trade Mission to Western Europe. The mission, which runs from June 6-16, includes delegates from more than 20 Utah businesses, universities and organizations and spans five countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France. The purpose of the trade mission is to strengthen existing international relationships, open new markets and foster future business growth and investment in Utah.
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Web: business.utah.gov
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) charter is based on Governor Gary Herbert’s commitment to economic development statewide. Utah’s economic development vision is that Utah will lead the nation as the best performing economy and be recognized as a premier global business and tourism destination. The mandate for this office is to provide rich business resources for the creation, growth and recruitment of companies to Utah and to increase tourism and film production in the state. GOED accomplishes this mission through the administration of programs that are based around targeted industries or “economic clusters” that demonstrate the best potential for development. GOED utilizes state resources and private sector contracts to fulfill its mission. For more information please contact: Michael Sullivan, 801-538-8811 or mgsullivan(at)utah(dot)gov
About the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah)
Web: edcutah.org
EDCUtah is an investor-based public/private partnership working to promote the state of Utah as a place to do business. EDCUtah is a comprehensive source of critical economic data, as well as both public and private contacts, helping to facilitate the recruitment of out-of-state companies and the expansion of local business. For information please contact: Kim Frost, 801-608-8427 or kfrost(at)edcutah(dot)org
Michael Sullivan, Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, http://business.utah.gov, +1 801-538-8811, [email protected]
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