The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce International Business Council and TN-China Network will jointly host a panel discussion on Strengthening the Chattanooga-China Connection: Creating Jobs Through Trade and Investment, on Friday, Sept.
25, from 8 to 9:45 a.m. at the INCubator, 100 Cherokee Blvd.
“This event is intended to be an interactive community discussion with the goal of promoting collaborative dialogue about how the Chattanooga community can work together to create jobs through expanded trade and investment with China,” said Elizabeth Rowland, Executive Director of TN-China Network. Ms. Rowland will moderate a discussion with the following panelists:
Tom Zhu, Project Manager of Yanfeng Chattanooga Facility – Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, a global auto interiors manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, announced this year that it will invest $55 million in a Chattanooga facility to supply Volkswagen’s assembly plant, creating more than 300 jobs. Zhu will discuss why Yanfeng chose Chattanooga and what the community can do to attract and support Chinese investment in the area.
Chris McKee, Executive Vice President for Marketing and Sales at McKee Foods – McKee Foods, a family-owned, billion-dollar food company headquartered in Collegedale is exploring possibilities for exporting to China. McKee will discuss the opportunities and challenges McKee Foods faces in the China market, and what the community can do to support local companies seeking to export to China.
Leslee Alexander, International Director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) – TNECD’s International Division identifies and recruits new foreign direct investment into the state as well as facilitates export assistance for Tennessee companies. Alexander will discuss TNECD’s programs as they relate to China and how Chattanooga and Chattanooga companies can take advantage of them.
Charles Wood, Vice President for Economic Development at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce – TheChattanooga Chamber recruits foreign direct investment, including Chinese investment, into Chattanooga to create jobs and expand the local economy. Wood, the Chamber’s lead recruiter, will discuss the Chamber’s efforts to attract Chinese investment and how the local community can support those efforts.
Event registration, continental breakfast and networking begin at 8 a.m. Cost is $10. The panel discussion will kick off after brief remarks by each panelist, followed by moderated Q&A and discussion among panelists and event attendees.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Rowland (ERowland@TNChinaNetwork.org, 865-387-7012), or Ivette Rios (IRios@TSBDC.org, 423-756-8668).