Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas will travel to Asia in September as part of an economic development mission which will include stops in both China and Japan. The 2009 State of Indiana Trade and Investment Mission, led by Governor Mitch Daniels, was organized to strengthen the state’s economy. Costas will be part of a delegation of elected officials and business leaders who will attend the Japan-U.S. Midwest Conference in Tokyo, take part in several business receptions for potential investors, and visit both Shanghai and Zhejiang—Indiana’s Chinese sister-state.
“I’m excited to learn more about working with the Asian market so that I can come back and share these opportunities with others in our own community,” said Costas. “Just as exciting will be the chance to share with Asia what Valparaiso has to offer as a location to expand or establish a business or as a trading partner,” he said. Costas will chronicle his trip in a blog which can be accessed at http://www.nwitimes.com. Mayor Costas will be leaving for Asia on September 5th.
More than 42,000 Hoosiers are employed by the more than 200 Japanese companies in the state with investments of more than $9.8 billion. One of the goals behind the trade mission is to expand Chinese investments in Indiana to rival the Japanese commitments. A number of Valparaiso companies also market their products in Asian markets.
The cost of the state delegation is being covered entirely through private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation and utilizes no tax dollars. The trip to Asia will be the first economic development mission to China by an Indiana governor in more than a decade.