Governor Walker Arrives in Canada Friday for Business Development Mission

Press Release

Governor Scott Walker arrives in Canada today to lead a six-day business development mission aimed at encouraging Canadian companies to consider establishing operations in Wisconsin or increasing their presence in the state.

"Canada is already our largest trading partner, and this trip will provide us with the opportunity to build upon existing relationships and establish new ones, which we believe will pay dividends down the road," Governor Walker said. "Our infrastructure, dedicated workforce, and pro-business environment are just some of the reasons why Canadian companies should seriously consider expanding in Wisconsin. I look forward to personally making that case during this trip."

The mission, which runs through Wednesday, June 17, will focus on attracting foreign direct investment to Wisconsin. Governor Walker, along with Katy Sinnott, vice president of International Business Development for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Kristie Pulvermacher, WEDC's business attraction and foreign direct investment manager, will meet one-on-one and in small groups with business leaders in Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City about establishing or expanding operations in Wisconsin.

Their efforts will focus specifically on companies that are currently considering expanding or investing in the U.S. The delegation will also meet with companies that already have facilities in Wisconsin to discuss business retention and the possibility of increasing their investments in the state.

During the mission, Governor Walker also will participate in the Leadership Summit of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers in Quebec City that is hosted by the Council of Great Lakes Governors. The summit's theme for 2015 is "Connecting Across Borders," and it will include discussions on environmental initiatives, regional economic clusters, and maritime transportation. Governor Walker will speak at the event on Saturday.

In addition to ongoing one-on-one meetings with business leaders, other highlights of the business development mission will include the following:

Governor Walker is scheduled to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, and other government officials to discuss ways to strengthen the already close relationship between Wisconsin, Canada, and Quebec.

The Governor will meet with key leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham) on Tuesday, June 16. The event will provide Governor Walker and WEDC officials with the opportunity to interact with leaders of the organization, which promotes the two-way flow of trade, goods, services and investment between Canada and the United States.

WEDC and AmCham will host a Wisconsin reception on Tuesday, June 16, to increase engagement with executives of Canadian companies that have expressed an interest in Wisconsin or expansion plans in unidentified locations.

Canada is Wisconsin's largest export destination, with state companies sending nearly $8 billion in goods to the country in 2014--up 5.5 percent from the previous year. Top state exports to Canada are industrial and electrical machinery, vehicles, paper products, and plastics. Wisconsin also imported $4.5 billion in goods from Canada in 2014, primarily plastics, paper, and wood products.

"This mission -- like our trip to the United Kingdom in February -- is part of WEDC's strategy to encourage foreign investment in Wisconsin's historic and emerging industry clusters, such as manufacturing, water technology, food and beverage processing, agriculture, and energy," said Sinnott. "Canadian firms already have invested nearly $5 billion in Wisconsin companies over the last decade, so the ties are strong. Given the synergy between Wisconsin and Canada, there is certainly room for additional growth."

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