For Immediate Release

ST. LOUIS EXPANDS GLOBAL BUSINESS INITIATIVE
WITH WORLD TRADE CENTER MERGER

County-City Collaborative Boosts Commitment to International Trade & Investment Opportunities By Combining World Trade Center Saint Louis
with St. Louis Center for International Relations

SEPTEMBER 8, 2006, St. Louis, Missouri, USA … St. Louis, Missouri has expanded its commitment to global business by merging World Trade Center Saint Louis with the St. Louis Center for International Relations.

The two service organizations historically have served different groups of people, businesses and member organizations. But now they are combining resources under the World Trade Center Saint Louis name to focus more aggressively on attracting foreign companies to the St. Louis region and, also, serving enterprises that conduct business internationally or want to do so. The new entity also now serves as the region’s official diplomatic gateway.

This pro-global business initiative is fueled by a new, broad-based strategy to welcome international enterprises to St. Louis while consulting with local businesses that want to expand into foreign markets, officials said. It is supported by both St. Louis County and City, whose chief executives announced the merger on August 1.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley said, “The merging of World Trade Center and Center for International Relations brings together the international trade and outreach resources our local governments offer that make global markets available to the business community.”
St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay said, “Middle market companies across the region are looking for organized assistance to help them help their businesses grow. I’m very pleased that the City and County were able to partner together to make this merger happen.”

Today, World Trade Center Saint Louis (WTCSTL) provides enterprises in Missouri and southern Illinois with valuable services such as strategic global market research, business introductions, trade resources and educational seminars. In addition, WTCSTL organizes foreign trade missions to major cities worldwide, and hosts more than 40 trade-related events annually. It is affiliated with 280 other World Trade Center organizations in 78 nations.

In addition, WTCSTL now serves as a gateway for building productive diplomatic, cultural and supportive educational relationships – activities formerly managed by the Center for International Relations. For example, WTCSTL staff helps to coordinate St. Louis’ 14 Sister Cities programs with communities in Europe, Africa, South America, the Pacific Rim and China. As the local affiliate of Sister Cities International of Washington, D.C., WTCSTL also promotes major international events.

“World Trade Center Saint Louis is the official international business assistance office for metropolitan St. Louis,” said Robert R. Heuermann, WTCSTL executive director. “We are utilizing our expanded resources to build and attract new economic activity for St. Louis in commerce, education, technology, healthcare, culture and the arts from around the world. Key to this will be strategically marketing St. Louis as an international business destination in major markets across the globe.”

“We support international economic development and reciprocal investment initiatives, directly assisting foreign organizations considering operations in the St. Louis region,” Mr. Heuermann said. “With the consolidated organization, we also are diversifying our commitment to helping St. Louis-area enterprises gain access to foreign markets and develop new customers. This is an aggressive step toward international business recruitment that complements domestic recruitment efforts already underway by the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and its regional stakeholders,” he added.

New Global Business Horizons
The new World Trade Center Saint Louis is governed by 15 board members with international business experience − seven chosen by County Executive Dooley, three chosen by Mayor Slay, and five jointly chosen. Fred W. Bartelsmeyer, a partner with the law firm Bryan Cave, is chairman of the new WTCSTL Board of Directors.

In October 2006, WTCSTL will manage a high-level trade mission to Indonesia for senior business executives in St. Louis, followed by missions to Stuttgart, Germany and Georgetown, Guyana later this year. Earlier this year, WTCSTL hosted trade and economic development delegations from China, Germany, France, Poland and other nations who met with local government and business leaders to discuss potential economic relationships.

The efforts paid off. After visiting St. Louis in April to evaluate locations for establishing a new North American service and training facility, Dreier Lasermesstechnik GmbH, a global industrial products company in Stuttgart, Germany, in June opened a new North American service center in St. Louis County, with plans for expansion.

“Obviously we are pleased that this global company chose St. Louis,” said Susanne Evens, president of the St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister City Organization, “particularly because, in addition to St. Louis, Dreier Lasermesstechnik considered Chicago, Detroit and Canada for its North American facility.” Ms. Evens is a native of Germany who immigrated to St. Louis 20 years ago and today is president of AAA Translation, an international language service company headquartered in St. Louis County.

Dr. John A. Wright, former board chairman of the St. Louis Center for International Relations, noted, “Relationships are essential to effective business. Through the new World Trade Center people will find information, resources and expertise needed to start, support and grow business in St. Louis’ 14 sister cities and in other highly favorable global markets.

“As part of its combined efforts, World Trade Center Saint Louis will continue to promote the region as an international business and tourist destination,” Dr. Wright said.

The Executive Order promulgated by County Executive Dooley and Mayor Slay charges WTCSTL with not only encouraging international enterprise and spurring economic growth, but job creation, retention and reverse investment with the goal of expanding the region’s international profile.

To do so, WTCSTL will continue to assist companies focused on conducting business in global markets by offering an expanded range of consulting services to support their international business initiatives. In addition, WTCSTL will help its clients make new contacts and build new relationships with foreign government, commerce, diplomatic and cultural enterprises while encouraging foreign enterprises to discover the advantages of doing business in greater St. Louis.

Cheryl M. Marty, WTCSTL deputy director, noted, “The St. Louis region already is home for many global firms and international business divisions, ranging from global companies such as Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc., Boeing, Emerson and Sigma-Aldrich to mid-sized and small enterprises doing business around the world.

“Metropolitan St. Louis is one of the nation’s most accommodating regions for conducting global business and serving U.S. markets,” Ms. Marty said. “Many top-ranked institutions in manufacturing, distribution, pharmaceutical research, high technology, bio-tech, education, science, healthcare and additional economic sectors are located here.

“Our location at the crossroads of the U.S., served by national railroad and highway systems and one of the nation’s largest inland ports, make the St. Louis region ideal for foreign enterprises that want to establish or expand operations to reach U.S. markets.
“World Trade Center Saint Louis is ready to help them,” she said.

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Contact: Robert R. Heuermann, World Trade Center Saint Louis, 121 South Meramec Avenue, Suite 1111, St. Louis, Missouri 63105 USA. Phone: 001 314.615.8151. Web: www.worldtradecenter-stl.com. Media contact: Jeff Dunlap 001.314 993 6925.

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