LIVERPOOL CHAMBER WELCOMES UNITED STATES EMBASSY MISSION
Inward investment & export opportunities showcased to US representatives
left to right: Gus Franklyn-Bute
( Senior Regional Investment Advisor, US Embassy) Paul Cherpeau (CEO, Liverpool Chamber), Brenda VanHorn ( Commercial Counsellor, US Embassy), Elena Enciso ( International Trade Manager, Liverpool Chamber), John Lucy ( Director of Liverpool Freeport) and Martin Olverson ( Sales Director Liverpool, Peel Ports)
Liverpool Chamber hosted a two-day visit from a delegation of senior United States trade and investment officials.
The US Embassy, Department for Commerce and Select USA were represented by Brenda VanHorn, Commercial Counsellor and Gus FranklynBute, Senior Investment Advisor.
During the visit, the Chamber promoted many of the Liverpool City Region’s exporting and inward investment opportunities through a combination of site visits, briefings and meetings with businesses and partner organisations and stakeholders.
Among those businesses visited by the delegation were Clarke Energy, Yanco, Liverpool Film Office and Sciontec in the Knowledge Quarter, while they also enjoyed a briefing meeting with representatives of Peel Ports, Liverpool Freeport and a collection of organisations who are currently exporting to the US.
The Chamber also hosted a roundtable event attended by businesses based in the city region, where delegates shared practical information and intelligence around issues such barriers to growth and trade, regional differences between individual states, city tax compliance, hiring talent and understanding how to access programs and incentives.
Freeport director John Lucy said: “We now have established channels for any future trade enquiries from Liverpool businesses about the US market and, most importantly, the Liverpool City Region is now on the radar with US Embassy trade commissioners and we will be involved in future US trade missions held at the US Embassy, in Liverpool or indeed they can arrange visits directly to the USA for our regional businesses.”
Giles Warburton, managing director at Shortlist Recruitment, said: “The ability to get to meet key US embassy personnel and understand the level of direct assistance open to us was a game changer. Thank you to the Chamber for organising such a useful event.
Christopher Jones, vice president of Alphasonics, said: “Alphasonics found the USA Expansion Event to be a great roundtable discussion exploring opportunities in North America. Whilst we have already embarked on our own expansion effort, we found resources previously unknown to us that we will certainly explore and made some great contacts. It was also a great opportunity to share our own experiences in this area, with the hope that we could give some ideas to help with the expansion plans of other companies from our great city.”
Paul Cherpeau, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber, said: “Demonstrating Liverpool’s proposition as both a destination for inward investment and as a global supplier of goods and services is a responsibility and privilege for local Chambers. We were delighted to work with a wide and diverse selection of our private and public sector partners to showcase the city region’s exciting opportunities and strengths in innovation, health, logistics and culture to our American trading partners.
“Liverpool has the capacity, capability and opportunity to be at the epicentre for UK trade and investment with our largest trading partner and there is no doubt this visit reinforced those credentials.”