Governor Cooper to Lead Economic Development Trip in Europe

Governor Cooper and a delegation of state officials will travel to Europe on an economic development trip from May 24-31. The Governor and state officials will meet with companies and government officials in France, Germany and Switzerland and will focus on investment opportunities and job creation in North Carolina.

The North Carolina delegation will include the Governor and First Lady as well as officials from the Office of the Governor, NC Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Over the course of the trip, the North Carolina leaders plan to meet with representatives of 14 companies as well as regional trade associations and senior government officials.

“We know our strategy of recruiting foreign direct investment from companies around the world creates great paying jobs and puts money in the pockets of North Carolina families,” said Governor Cooper. “We’ve had monumental success attracting companies abroad, most notably from Japan, and I’m excited to be able to strengthen our economic ties and build relationships for our state with companies in Western Europe. Ensuring a globally diverse business presence in North Carolina will open new markets and benefit our economy for decades to come.”

More than 1,700 foreign companies chose North Carolina for their operations supporting 303,600 jobs. More than 550 companies announced new projects in the last decade which have created 59,000 jobs and $36 billion in capital investment. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina behind Japan, with Switzerland and France the 5th and 12th largest, respectively.

Throughout the trip, Gov. Cooper will remain in regular contact throughout the day with his Cabinet Secretaries and staff in North Carolina and continue to direct state business.

###