NDTO, along with Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, will lead a trade delegation to eastern Canada the week of June 9, 2014. The trade mission will be separated into three regions – Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal – with industry focuses including energy, aerospace and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), however, all interested companies will be accommodated.
North Dakota currently has significant trade with Canada, which has been the state’s largest trading partner since the beginning of our state’s trading history. The goal of the Eastern Canada Trade Mission is to arrange a series of one-on-one meetings with private businesses and government entities to further open trading doors specifically in the energy, aerospace and UAS industries.
In Toronto, NDTO will connect North Dakota entities and projects with investment capital firms, banks and Canadian energy companies to present energy play opportunities in the Bakken Oil Field and across the state. The Williston Basin is no longer considered a boom/bust play, but an established industry with reduced risk on investment capital. Toronto is Canada’s business and financial capital and the second-largest financial services center in North America. . If you are needing additional capital for your business or looking for possible joint ventures/partners, you should plan on participating in the Toronto leg of the trade mission.
The Ottawa portion of the trade mission will be highly government focused with meetings planned with the Ministries of Energy, Agriculture, Trade, Transportation and others. Ottawa is the political and technological center of Canada; the high concentration of high-tech companies in the software and environmental technologies sectors have earned the city the nickname ‘Silicon Valley North’. Companies that have questions regarding “doing business” regulations in Canada or to establish government points of contacts should plan on joining the Ottawa leg of the trade mission.
Montreal meetings will focus on aerospace and the UAS industry. Greater Montréal is a major world aerospace center. The Québec aerospace industry is composed of world-class manufacturers (Bombardier, Bell Helicopter Textron, CAE, Pratt & Whitney, and others); over 200 renowned OEMs, top-notch subcontractors and suppliers; and prominent research centers. It is also home to the headquarters of international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). North Dakota companies, research centers, and UAS sites doing business in this sector should plan on participating in the Montreal leg of the trade mission.
All interested parties must confirm participation no later than March 30, 2014. For more information on this initiative, or to register, contact Donavon Johnson at donavon@ndto.com