On the first day of the trade show, President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Secretary Penny Pritzker took a tour. (Photo by U.S. Department of Commerce)
Industry and community representatives from Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati traveled to Hanover, Germany, for the world’s largest industrial fair, Hannover Messe.
In attendance at the event were representatives from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, REDI Cincinnati and the European American Chamber of Commerce.
Dan Tobergte, President and CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, used the five-day fair to interact with companies and showcase the opportunities for foreign direct investment in Northern Kentucky.
More than 70 of Northern Kentucky’s 550 primary industry companies are foreign-owned. That international component is part of the business community contributing thousands of jobs and tax revenue to the local economy.
“We must continue to strengthen our existing international relationships, while fostering new ones to ensure that Northern Kentucky is top-of-mind to companies investing in the United States,” said Tobergte.
Dan Tobergte, president and CEO of Tri-ED, and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin at the Think Kentucky exhibition booth. (Photo provided)
The 2016 Hannover Messe fair brought the largest-ever U.S. Department of Commerce delegation to Germany, with President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in attendance. They jointly visited the Think Kentucky exhibition booth and spoke to representatives from the state about opportunities for continued foreign investment.
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin also attended the fair with Chief of Staff Blake Brickman, Acting Secretary Erik Dunnigan and European Office Director Finn Weisse, meeting with industry officials from across the globe and strengthening relationships with existing Kentucky companies like DHL.
Other Kentucky-based companies such as Balluff and Bonfiglioli attended Hannover Messe to showcase their innovations—some made in Northern Kentucky—on a global stage.
Nearly 80 high-level, private and public sector individuals attended the Kentucky Business Reception hosted by Governor Bevin, and more than a dozen dignitaries visited the Kentucky booth throughout the week. Representatives from Kentucky spoke at two conference workshops, including a panel focused on workforce apprenticeship program best practices and innovative microgravity manufacturing and research technology coming from Kentucky.
“Kentucky’s presence at Hannover Messe was a big success, not only from a brand building perspective, but from a prospecting and relationship-building perspective,” said Mandy Lambert, Commissioner for Business Development at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. “European companies continue to be a prime target for cultivating new international investment opportunities. The Kentucky delegation had the opportunity to meet with several new leads, as well as establish relationships with high-ranking national and international dignitaries that will benefit Kentucky for years to come.”
