Tri-City Development Council President Carl Adrian is taking the search for economic opportunities all the way to China.
Adrian is one of nearly 80 representatives of Washington business, agriculture, education and government who will accompany Gov. Chris Gregoire on an 11-day trade mission to China and Vietnam starting Sept. 13.
Other Mid-Columbians making the journey include state Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside; Diahann Howard, director of economic development and governmental affairs for the Port of Benton; Jon Michael Davis, associate lab director for Energy and Environment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Jared Balcom of the Washington State Potato Commission; and James Katzaroff, CEO and chairman of Advanced Medical Isotope Corp.
"The fact that so many private businesses and companies are willing to join me on this trip signifies its importance," Gregoire said in a written statement Monday. "They know -- as do I -- the value of meeting face to face with key leaders in Asia to help sell our state as the best place to do business. This trip will provide immeasurable global exposure, and I'm confident will lead to greater exports for the state of Washington."
Adrian said another goal of the trip is to entice more Chinese companies like GCL Solar to invest money in the Tri-Cities and its growing technology sector.
GCL Solar is a subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd., one of the world's leading manufacturers of polysilicon for the solar industry, and recently opened a facility in Richland to develop better, more cost-effective methods for silica processing and production.
Silicon is used to manufacture semi-conductors and solar wafers, which are used to make solar cells and photovoltaic solar panels.
Adrian said Gregoire plans to meet with GCL representatives in Shanghai, and he wanted to be there to support the trade mission and to thank GCL for bringing business to the Tri-Cities.
"We know GCL is part of a larger conglomerate looking at the U.S. for energy development," Adrian said.
And there's no reason that can't be done in the Tri-Cities, he added.
While in China, the delegates will meet with industry leaders in agriculture, aerospace, clean energy and education to promote Washington products and the advantages of doing business here -- all in an effort to capture some of a growing market that's hungry to do business.
"We all recognize China is a pretty rapidly emerging market," Adrian said.
Gregoire hopes the trip will repeat her 2005 success in China and Japan, which resulted in $1 million in immediate new sales to Japanese customers and $6 million in new contracts with Chinese companies, according to her office.
B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission, accompanied Gregoire on the 2005 trade mission and said it led to Chinese importers for the first time bringing Washington cherries directly from growers to Shanghai.
"Export trade missions have proven to be an excellent medium for accessing new markets and potential trading partners for the Washington state sweet cherry producers," Thurlby said.
Gregoire spokeswoman Karina Shagren said the delegates all are paying their own costs for the trip. The estimated $5,000 cost of the governor's travel is being paid from her office budget.
