Palm Beach County Economic Development Office Director Kevin Johns will be attending a “Familiarization Tour” with the newly appointed Consul General of Israel, Ofer Bavly, on November 16.
The tour will focus on increasing trade opportunities between Palm Beach County and Israel. Bioscience, aerospace and aviation, homeland security and defense, and water technology will be the main topics of mutual economic and business interests.
The tour will include meetings with representatives from Scripps Florida, the Business Development Board, South Florida Water Management District, and the Port of Palm Beach. Also in attendance will be Fred Glickman, Enterprise Florida’s Managing Director of International Offices and World Trade Center Palm Beach Chairman Al Zucaro.
Growing international business and finance in the local economy is an integral part of the County’s Strategic Economic Plan, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in March 2007. The Economic Development Office is broadening the County’s industrial and financial base by taking advantage of the fact that international trade is a great way to grow the economy.
To help strengthen trade links with Brazil, the Economic Development Office will be meeting with the World Trade Center Palm Beach and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County within the next few weeks to help link local business interests with contacts made by business representatives during a recent Trade Mission to Brazil, led by Governor Charlie Crist.
With nearly $8 billion of products exported from Florida to Brazil in 2006, Johns said increasing our dollar share 1.5 to 2 percent of the total could add $120 to $160 million to the local economy each year.
For more information, please contact Kevin Johns, Director, Palm Beach County Economic Development Office, (561) 355-3624, kjohns@pbcgov.com
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