Gov. Nathan Deal is set to leave this weekend for a nearly two-week-long economic development trip to England, Germany and Austria, where he hopes to lure more business investments to Georgia.
This is Deal’s first such trip as governor. His focus: developing ties with European businesses that already have a presence in Georgia and looking for more opportunities.
For example, while in the United Kingdom, Deal will meet with JCB, a construction equipment manufacturer that located its North American headquarters in Savannah in 2000. In Germany, Deal will meet with Siemens AG, which has operations in Georgia, and Mage Solar, which has opened a $30 million solar panel manufacturing operation in Dublin.
The governor will gather with a number of companies considering investments in the United States. Meetings are also planned with the minister-president of Bavaria and the governor of Upper Austria.
“This mission is a great opportunity to develop the relationships needed to help these companies understand how Georgia can fulfill their needs, whether it’s for expansion or a new location,” Deal said in a prepared statement issued Thursday. “Competition for business is stiff. Looking at what other parts of the world are doing and learning from their best practices will help us hone our competitive edge and keep jobs flowing to Georgia.”
The trip comes on the heels of Deal’s announcement Thursday that Porsche will build a $100 million North American headquarters and a test track on the site of the former Ford plant in south metro Atlanta. A spokesman for Deal said the governor does not plan to meet with executives from the German carmaker while he is in Europe.
The state is paying for Deal’s trip. First lady Sandra Deal will accompany him. An aide to the governor, a security detail and some other state officials also will make the trip.
Staff writers Aaron Gould Sheinin and Rachel Tobin contributed to this article.
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