The provincial government funds a sales team to search the world for customers for B.C. products. They came to Prince George on Monday to learn about the goods and services this region injects into the province's gross domestic product.
Most of the members of that sales team have a working relationship individually with the Prince George region, but on Monday they all came here together for the first time. They got an intensive course in northern economic possibilities from an array of experts from across the region.
Members of the group credited Initiatives Prince George for hosting the meeting, so they could go off to their corners of the globe with a hands-on understanding of the many products and services this area has to offer.
"Experiencing firsthand, we can learn more what the opportunities are," said Japanese expert Avrom Salsberg.
He added Japan has typically had a large interest in lumber, mining, and the energy sector.
"We have already seen significant activity in those areas."
The recent earthquake and nuclear disasters there will change the dynamics of their trade relations with British Columbia, he said, but the relationships have always been positive between our two regions so the long-term future looked positive.
German connection Rainer Giersch said the group had done a similar drop-in to Kelowna and found it as much enlightening for the members of the sales team as it was a chance for local business interests to learn from them about international marketing.
They were eager to come to Prince George knowing that these visits strengthen their abilities to sell abroad, and assuming that this region was loaded with sales opportunities they did not fully grasp or know about at all.
B.C.'s UK connection, Rob Fyne, added that just because Asia was the closest trade market on the map didn't mean Europe was without its advantages.
"In fact there are some very specific opportunities around Prince George," he said, like low energy costs and a skilled labour force. "Looking at all of us, we have had boots on the ground but a lot of this takes time to get investors engaged," so don't be discouraged by slow progress. It will pay off for the region in the end, he suggested.
"It is already happening," said Salsberg. "We need to take the message back that the capacity is here, the opportunities are here."
Yes there are regulatory burdens, a higher than normal Canadian dollar, and other impeding forces, but Salsberg was nonchalant about that, with agreement from the others.
"There are challenges in every market," he said. This one is diverse, well-educated, safe and stable - all major factors investors are looking for when they make major deals.
The meetings continue today.
THE P.G. ECONOMY WILL FLY
B.C.'s trade and investment specialist in California, Gordon Smythe, said he's keeping a watchful eye on P.G.'s air transport potential.
"I've been excited about the Prince George Airport expansion."
Millions of dollars invested in a long runway, a national customs office, refuelling features, and soon warehouse and the Boundary Road link to rail lines are all worthwhile projects, members of the trade mission said.
They noted the opportunities to channel Asian-U.S. trade through Prince George's airport, utilizing air cargo and rail links, was an advantage over Pacific ports south of the border.
"Right now they [airport officials] are focused on building refueling capacity, and that's the correct stage for them to be at, but they should put their focus on warehousing after that, logistics, rail links," said Smythe. "Those are the real opportunities."
B.C.'s sales lead in Korea, Kim, said the Port of Prince Rupert was likewise on the radar of international trade interests, which would tie perfectly into Prince George's burgeoning logistics economy, as well as our local resource industries.
SELLING B.C. - AND P.G. - TO THE WORLD
Pratap Raju - India
Kyung Suk Kim - Korea
Avrom Salsberg - Japan
Rolf Fyne - United Kingdom
Rainer Giersch - Germany
Gordon Smythe - U.S. Pacific
Cathy Yao - South China
Kevin Tsui - North China
John McDonald - East China
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