Wake County ED Managers Travel to Atlanta

In WCED’s continued mission of making Wake County a global contender for jobs, economic development managers John Johnston and Kathleen Henry travelled to Atlanta to meet with site selection consultants in the area. Meeting with consultants gave John and Kathleen the opportunity to tell the region’s story and share what things are on the horizon for Wake County and the Research Triangle region.

Business professionals like Annie Baxter, Business Recruitment Manager at Duke Energy, felt that Wake County’s recent region-wide workforce survey distinguished the area as an innovative region with an eye towards the future. James Blair, Managing Director of Navigator Consulting, impressed upon Kathleen and John the importance of having a foreign direct investment strategy in place. With a robust economy of foreign-owned businesses already installed in the Research Triangle region and an existing strategy in place, the two assured Blair that expanding the region’s worldwide presence was top-of-mind. In fact, John and Kathleen were granted audience with Consul General Takashi Shinozuka, the official representative of the Japanese government, appointed to oversee the southeastern United States. In their talks, the parties discussed the value of cooperation and collaboration between the Research Triangle region and Japan’s burgeoning international business interests.

Consul General Takashi Shinozuka will be joined by Chief Executive Director of the Japan External Trade Organization, Norikazu Mori, and other local business leaders to discuss the future of foreign investment at WCED's first ever Foreign Direct Investment Forum. To learn more about the event and register, click here.