Menu
16/03/2009
Trade Mission Targets America
A trade mission to America underway this St Patrick's Day is the first in a programme of 10 such business visits for Northern Ireland companies being organised by Invest Northern Ireland to North America during 2009.
Thirteen of the seventeen companies on the current trade mission to Toronto and New York - from 16-20 March - are visiting North America for the first time.
The programme, the most intensive to date, was lined up by Invest NI to this strategically important marketplace.
It includes multi-centre trade missions and participation in globally significant exhibitions, such as BIO2009 in Atlanta, the Worldwide Microsoft Partnership Convention in New Orleans, Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, Connected Health in Boston and the Digital Media and Software technology event in San Francisco.
Alan Hingston, Invest NI's Trade Director, commenting of this week's mission to Toronto and New York, said: "It's immensely encouraging to see so many newcomers keen to do business in North America, still our most important market outside the Great Britain and Ireland.
"While the US and Canada are experiencing economic problems along with Europe and other markets, the companies on this mission are confident that they can, and will, do business there, and I share their confidence.
"Over the years, the US in particular has proved to be a very good market for smaller Northern Ireland companies with innovative technologies," he said.
"Our trade advisers in key centres such as New York and Boston are working with a number of the companies to exploit opportunities that they have pinpointed," he continued.
"All the companies on the mission recognise that converting these opportunities into solid business will take time, resources and further visits to the market. Our programme enables them to do this.
"Our strategy is to offer companies practical support and expert advice on-the-ground from experienced business people located in key centres such as Toronto, New York, Boston, Denver and San Francisco," he added.
Other companies taking part are 'old hands'. Three of the companies, Biokinetic Europe, First Derivatives and Texthelp, are already well established in North America.
Biokinetic provides clinical testing services to major US pharmaceutical companies; First Derivatives has an office in New York and provides specialist software to financial institutions on Wall Street; and Texthelp has offices in Boston and Toronto.
Texthelp has also provided assisted learning and web access software to education bodies in several states and other organisations.
The senior company bosses will have also been heartened by news of an early St Patrick's Day gift stateside.
A $30m US-backed investment in Northern Ireland has been revealed.
The cash is to be made available for potential investment by the New York state retirement fund.
See: Murders Fail To Halt $30m US Investment
Thirteen of the seventeen companies on the current trade mission to Toronto and New York - from 16-20 March - are visiting North America for the first time.
The programme, the most intensive to date, was lined up by Invest NI to this strategically important marketplace.
It includes multi-centre trade missions and participation in globally significant exhibitions, such as BIO2009 in Atlanta, the Worldwide Microsoft Partnership Convention in New Orleans, Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, Connected Health in Boston and the Digital Media and Software technology event in San Francisco.
Alan Hingston, Invest NI's Trade Director, commenting of this week's mission to Toronto and New York, said: "It's immensely encouraging to see so many newcomers keen to do business in North America, still our most important market outside the Great Britain and Ireland.
"While the US and Canada are experiencing economic problems along with Europe and other markets, the companies on this mission are confident that they can, and will, do business there, and I share their confidence.
"Over the years, the US in particular has proved to be a very good market for smaller Northern Ireland companies with innovative technologies," he said.
"Our trade advisers in key centres such as New York and Boston are working with a number of the companies to exploit opportunities that they have pinpointed," he continued.
"All the companies on the mission recognise that converting these opportunities into solid business will take time, resources and further visits to the market. Our programme enables them to do this.
"Our strategy is to offer companies practical support and expert advice on-the-ground from experienced business people located in key centres such as Toronto, New York, Boston, Denver and San Francisco," he added.
Other companies taking part are 'old hands'. Three of the companies, Biokinetic Europe, First Derivatives and Texthelp, are already well established in North America.
Biokinetic provides clinical testing services to major US pharmaceutical companies; First Derivatives has an office in New York and provides specialist software to financial institutions on Wall Street; and Texthelp has offices in Boston and Toronto.
Texthelp has also provided assisted learning and web access software to education bodies in several states and other organisations.
The senior company bosses will have also been heartened by news of an early St Patrick's Day gift stateside.
A $30m US-backed investment in Northern Ireland has been revealed.
The cash is to be made available for potential investment by the New York state retirement fund.
See: Murders Fail To Halt $30m US Investment
Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
13 February 2024
NI Fastest Growing UK Region For New Companies
Northern Ireland was the fastest-growing region of the UK for newly registered companies in 2023, according to a new index from Ulster Bank and Beauhurst. The New Startup Index highlights how in 2023 Northern Ireland gained 14,000 new companies, a 59% increase on 2022.
NI Fastest Growing UK Region For New Companies
Northern Ireland was the fastest-growing region of the UK for newly registered companies in 2023, according to a new index from Ulster Bank and Beauhurst. The New Startup Index highlights how in 2023 Northern Ireland gained 14,000 new companies, a 59% increase on 2022.
28 May 2013
Cookstown Company Secures Brazil Contract
A Cookstown company that specialises in waste reduction and recycling equipment has secured a major contract in Brazil. CDEnviro in County Tyrone secured its first major contract in the country following a trade mission organised by Invest Northern Ireland.
Cookstown Company Secures Brazil Contract
A Cookstown company that specialises in waste reduction and recycling equipment has secured a major contract in Brazil. CDEnviro in County Tyrone secured its first major contract in the country following a trade mission organised by Invest Northern Ireland.
17 September 2001
Death tally of Irish and British nationals may rise
As the United States of America braces itself for war, New York fire and police services meanwhile have had the unenviable task of trying to recover and identify the dead from amid the ruin and wreckage that once was the World Trade Centre twin towers.
Death tally of Irish and British nationals may rise
As the United States of America braces itself for war, New York fire and police services meanwhile have had the unenviable task of trying to recover and identify the dead from amid the ruin and wreckage that once was the World Trade Centre twin towers.
04 June 2018
New York Pizza Firm To Create 50 New Posts In Belfast
A New York pizza firm is to create 50 new posts in Belfast. Slice, which provides an online and mobile ordering and payment platform for independent pizzerias in the US, is establishing a new software engineering centre in Northern Ireland.
New York Pizza Firm To Create 50 New Posts In Belfast
A New York pizza firm is to create 50 new posts in Belfast. Slice, which provides an online and mobile ordering and payment platform for independent pizzerias in the US, is establishing a new software engineering centre in Northern Ireland.
27 October 2023
NI Companies Urged To Invest In New AI Skills Development
Northern Ireland companies need to invest in developing new skills and capabilities if they want to be at the forefront of AI deployment. This was the key message at the 9th annual Big Data Belfast conference, held on Thursday, 26 October, at ICC Belfast.
NI Companies Urged To Invest In New AI Skills Development
Northern Ireland companies need to invest in developing new skills and capabilities if they want to be at the forefront of AI deployment. This was the key message at the 9th annual Big Data Belfast conference, held on Thursday, 26 October, at ICC Belfast.
-
Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
