The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced Thursday, the participants, including two Chattanooga companies, of a trade mission to take place July 17-20, to Mexico City, focusing on the state’s automotive industry. The trade mission is part of ECD’s TNTrade initiative to help boost exports by small- and medium-sized businesses.

ECD will lead a group of Tennessee automotive companies to the PAACE Automechanika exposition in Mexico City, the largest and most prominent international trade show for the automotive industry in Mexico and Central America. Business matchmaking meetings will be arranged by the U.S. Commercial Service to connect Tennessee companies with potential customers and partners.

“After a successful medical trade mission to China and South Korea, we are excited to offer a second trade mission for our automotive businesses,” Bill Hagerty, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, said. “The automotive industry is a cornerstone of our state’s economy, and this trade mission affords automotive suppliers the opportunity to expand their markets and forge new relationships.”

The companies participating in the trade mission are:

·         Andersen Flaps, Inc., Chattanooga, a manufacturer of the Eco-Flap, an eco-friendly alternative to a traditional truck mud-flap. 

·         BPS Engineering, LLC, Greenback, a designer and manufacturer of a wide-range of new/refurbished specialty tooling and plastic products for tire manufacturing. 

·         Colonial Diversified Polymer Products, LLC, Dyersburg, a manufacturer of molded and extruded rubber products and supplier of specialty mixed compounds to manufacturers in the automotive, defense, construction, agriculture, aerospace, medical and telecom industries.

·         eSpin Technologies, Inc., Chattanooga, a manufacturer of polymer nanofibers and nanofiber products for applications in the filtration, health care, automotive, and aerospace industries. 

·         Global Industrial Components, Inc., Woodbury, a designer and manufacturer of a variety of metal products, including screws, nuts, bolts, springs, steel clips, automotive components, and petrol-based products such as coolants, hydraulic oils and greases.

·         Gayle Technologies, Inc. (“GTi”), Nashville, a provider of ultrasound testing products for mechanical evaluation and leak detection to the automotive and transportation industries.

·         Quality Filtration, LLC, Nashville, a manufacturer of filters and equipment used in hydraulic and industrial lubrication systems by automobile assemblers and tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers in the production of components used in the assembly of cars, trucks and off-road mobile equipment.

ECD’s trade mission to China and South Korea in April was attended by 11 Tennessee heath care companies and medical device manufacturers. The group visited Beijing, China and Seoul, South Korea, and attended the China International Medical Equipment Fair in Shenzhen, China.  Memphis-based Silicone Arts Labs’ trade mission experience was featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, and the company has since procured an overseas order for its Dermaflage skin concealer.

TNTrade is a statewide initiative intended to support Governor Bill Haslam's goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. In addition to trade missions, TNTrade offers small- and medium-sized companies across all sectors assistance with exporting through the Market Access Program (MAP). Click here for more information or to apply for MAP reimbursements of up to $5,000 per company. The program is funded through a U.S. Small Business Administration State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant.