|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue: 976 Date: 5/7/2009
|
|
St. Louis Welcomes Visiting Delegation of 38 Chinese Investors, Business Leaders and Officials of Chinese Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA)
|
|
|
|
 |
| Missouri Speaker of the House Ron Richard, Madam Zhang Yingxin, and Governor Jay Nixon at yesterday's luncheon session at the Express Scripts HQ. |
|
|
In the latest chapter of the "St. Louis Big Idea with China," Governor Jay Nixon, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, Speaker of the House Ron Richard, Congressmen Lacy Clay, Russ Carnahan, Todd Aiken, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and host of other state and local elected officials and area business leaders welcomed a delegation of prospective investors from China to St. Louis yesterday morning, for an in-depth 2-day investment and economic development tour of the region. Under the auspices of the recently formed Midwest-China Hub Commission, for which the RCGA is a founding member, the delegation of Chinese leaders is led by Madam Zhang Yingxin. Madam Zhang returned to St. Louis following her having joined Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, on his June 2008 visit to St. Louis, following the successful week-long St. Louis "ice breaker" delegation to Beijing in March 2008, led by U.S. Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill.
The "Big Idea" has as its focus making St. Louis the Heart of America hub for Chinese trade and cargo, and for the location of Chinese investment and the location of the U.S. HQ for growing Chinese firms.
The delegation arrived Saturday evening, and our program commenced yesterday morning at the Donald Danforth plant Sciences Center, where I was pleased to join Hub Commission chairman Mike Jones, and Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Linda Martinez in providing our guests with an overview on the bistate regional marketplace. Fellow Commissioner Dan Mehan and Commission executive director Jason VanEaton gave context to "The Big Idea," followed by a stunning presentation of the St. Louis BioBelt's world class plant sciences assets by Danforth Center president Dr. Roger Beachy and his colleague Sam Fiorello, and then a tour of the Danforth Center facilities.
The delegation then travelled to the UM-St. Louis campus to the corporate HQ of Express Scripts, where Governor Jay Nixon, Congressman Lacy Clay and Express Scripts President & CEO George Paz welcomed the group and further briefed them on the business and corporate climate in St. Louis and Missouri.
Following an afternoon tour of St. Louis quality of life and business assets by the 38-member delegation, a festive dinner attended by business, civic and elected officials was held to honor the delegation at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
The CIPA delegation completes their St. Louis visit today at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with a closing luncheon and four parallel investor panel presentations on:Real Estate and Construction;Manufacturing (Auto, Machinery, Electronic Engineering)Plant & Life Sciences, Ag, Energy, and Clean TechHigh Technology (IT and Pharma)The investment seminars were planned and developed by RCGA Senior Vice President for Economic Development Steve Johnson, RCGA Vice President for Capital Formation & New Ventures Jay DeLong and Meredith Turk of the RCGA, with assistance from Advantage Capital Managing Partner and RCGA Board member Scott Zajak, Rivervest Venture Partners Tom Melzer, and Prologue Brian Clevinger, and our fellow Commission members.
A small working delegation of the Midwest-China Hub Commission returned from an aviation and airline-related set of meetings in Beijing several weeks ago.
Both the air cargo and the investment/economic development aspects of the "Big Idea China Project" will continue to be pursued in the months ahead by the Commission and its civic members.
|
|
  |
| Left to right: Congressman Lacy Clay, Express Scripts Executive Vice Presdient and |
CFO Jefferey Hall, and Express Scripts President & CEO George Paz |
 |
| Gov Nixon addressing the delegation and discussing the Big Idea with Madam Zhang. |
|
|
