DCED Secretary Kicks Off 12th Annual Pennsylvania International Week

News provided by

Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

Sep 12, 2013, 11:15 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker today announced the start of Pennsylvania International Week, Sept. 16-27, during which the state will host a number of events for Pennsylvania companies looking to grow internationally.

"Governor Corbett's commitment to drive international business interest in the commonwealth has allowed for Pennsylvania companies to enter into new foreign markets," Walker said. "This past year, the Office of International Business Development helped Pennsylvania businesses generate nearly $60 million in export sales supporting more than 7,000 new Pennsylvania jobs."

The Corbett Administration has made helping Pennsylvania companies access the broader international marketplace a priority. These efforts have helped companies grow and, during the past year, created 7,027 new jobs and generated approximately $59 million in state tax revenues.

The state is sponsoring a number of events statewide, as a part of Pennsylvania International Week, to assist commonwealth companies looking to sell products and services overseas. Pennsylvania's international trade representatives will meet at each event with companies seeking foreign market intelligence, agent and distributor candidates, as well as industry and government contacts.

Pennsylvania International Week is hosted by DCED's Office of International Business Development, a professional team of international economic development specialists, in partnership with its 10 Regional Export Network (REN) partners across the state, Team PA Foundation and many other public and private sector partners in each region. Due to popularity, the Pennsylvania International Week evolved into a two week event to meet the demands of increased participation.

This year's events will include a series of presentations, seminars and networking events for businesses at 11 locations throughout the state.

The Pennsylvania International Week schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 16, in Pittsburgh at the Two Chatham Center, 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 17 in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Erie at the Bayfront Convention Center, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19 in St. Mary's at the Red Fern, 8:30 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 20 in Lancaster at the Eden Resort, 8 a.m.
Monday, Sept. 23 in Altoona at the Casino at Lakemont Park, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24 in State College at the Celebration Hall, 8 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 25 in Philadelphia at the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel, 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26 in Plymouth Meeting at the Plymouth Meeting Country Club, 8 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26 in Bethlehem at the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 27 in Wilkes-Barre at the Woodlands, 8:30 a.m.

"Connecting manufacturers to global markets has been a priority of the Corbett Administration as a way to grow the industry in the state," Walker said. "Pennsylvania International Week allows DCED to provide the proper resources to Pennsylvania businesses to meet new potential clients and expand into new markets."

Pennsylvania International Week will feature 23 authorized trade representatives from the Arab Gulf, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China (Beijing and Shanghai), Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

To learn more about Pennsylvania International Week, the Office of International Business Development, or the REN partners, visit newPA.com/trade or call 1-866-466-3972.

Media contact: Edward Jordan, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development