Governor Hassan and NH Delegation Return from NH-Turkey Trade Mission

Press Release

After spending a week in Turkey promoting New Hampshire trade and tourism and connecting with Turkish businesses, Governor Maggie Hassan, Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner Jeffrey Rose and the New Hampshire trade delegation returned on Friday from the state's trade mission to Turkey.
While in Istanbul and Ankara, Governor Hassan met with the leaders of some of Turkey's largest companies and addressed some of Turkey's largest business organizations, connecting with more than 200 businesses. The seven New Hampshire businesses held more than 100 business-to-business matchmaking meetings, and Commissioner Rose met with numerous senior-level executives representing companies eyeing expansion into the U.S. market, including a fast-growing international company seeking a potential warehouse/distribution center in the Northeast and the leaders of the OSTIM Defense and Aviation Cluster of Turkey to promote New Hampshire's emergence as a leader in aerospace and defense.

"First and foremost, our trade mission was about building long-term relationships with businesses that have the potential to help build on our existing international trade efforts with Turkey, spurring economic growth and creating jobs here in New Hampshire," Governor Hassan said. "During the week, we set the foundation for very strong relationships, connecting with hundreds of Turkish companies, and I am confident that our efforts to promote our state and our businesses will help strengthen international trade and build on our status as the fastest-growing state for exports in 2013."

"Our trade mission to Turkey was an extraordinary experience," Commissioner Rose said. "Our companies had over 100 business-to-business meetings and are returning home with dozens of high-quality leads. Governor Hassan went non-stop over the past week, meeting with many of the most senior business people in the country and receiving high praise from the more than 200 businesses she connected with during the mission. Some of the most gratifying moments of the trade mission came in her meetings with women business leaders and how inspired they were by her."

New Hampshire businesses Comptus, Conductive Compounds, Demers & Blaisdell, Hinckley Allen, MAE Consulting Group, Rokon and Ulysses Advisory Group joined Governor Hassan and Commissioner Rose on the trade mission and returned believing that their work last week will help their companies grow.

"I have been on several trade missions in the past, and this one was better organized than most because of the strong research done beforehand," said Tom Blais, President of Rokon, a motorcycle manufacturer in Rochester. "Personally, I had some great meetings, securing coverage in automotive magazines and opening my company to a market of almost 80 million people."

"I started my business in 2013, and with this trade mission being led by our state's most senior leader, Governor Hassan, I had the opportunity to develop long-term relationships that I otherwise wouldn't have had," said Janet Kwiatkowski, President of MAE Consulting Group, a business service provider for companies seeking to gain market approval for medical devices and biotechnology products in both domestic and international markets.

Located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Turkey is a regional commercial hub and New Hampshire's 12th-largest trading partner, with New Hampshire businesses exporting more than $79 million in goods and services to Turkey in 2013. With a new direct flight between Boston and Istanbul, there are increasing opportunities for economic growth, especially in areas such as aerospace and defense, health and medical technologies, education and construction machinery.

The bipartisan budget that Governor Hassan signed last year increased international trade assistance and restored funding for trade missions to help businesses market and sell their products around the globe. These efforts to strengthen international trade helped make New Hampshire the fastest-growing state for exports in 2013 when business exports rose 22 percent.

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