TEN companies in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon council area are en route to Philadelphia this morning on a three-day trade mission to seek out their own export contacts in the US.
And they'll also be talking up the borough as an attractive destination for inward investment, especially given its links to the world's most-watched TV show Game of Thrones, where the Linen Studios in Banbridge has been earmarked as location for a unique legacy project.
The joint civic and business delegation, led by mayor Mealla Campbell, will include new and long-established firms from the area.
They include Armagh Cider, Burren Balsamics, Envision Intelligent Solutions, Impact Fabrications, Interrailing Packages, Irish Bog Oak, Jacqueline Rooney Art, Jasmine and Lily Floral Wreaths, Lough Neagh Distillers and Tique Lights.
They'll learn about doing business in the US and will also be invited to showcase their own products and services to suitably-matched prospective business partners in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey and Vermont.
Councillor Campbell, said: “As an economically ambitious council, our focus is on helping local companies identify new markets and fast track their way to exporting success, while also promoting our borough’s strong proposition to a global pool of potential investors.
“The forward-thinking companies accompanying us are already successfully exporting to markets closer to home, and with their wealth of experience and expertise, they are well-primed to enter new international markets.”
Council representatives will engage in high-level meetings with senior international trade officials from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and City of Philadelphia, and meet with influential business leaders from Almac, Tourism Ireland and the Thomas Jefferson Institute of Bioprocessing.
Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney, who is of Irish descent, will also host a special reception for the visiting delegation.
