|
(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman was joined by state officials and representatives of private industry today in announcing plans to open the state’s first international trade office. The Nebraska Center will be located in Tokyo and will be opened for business by Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy during a trade mission later this fall.
The new office will serve as a hub for Nebraska’s international business operations, including the recruitment and expansion of Japanese-owned companies, agricultural market expansion, and the cultivation of multinational partnerships for economic growth. The center will be available as a public work and meeting space to business partners and Nebraskans visiting abroad for economic development purposes.
“Nebraska has had a strong relationship with Japan,” Gov. Heineman said. “With the opening of this office, we hope to pursue an even stronger partnership over the long-term by enabling Nebraskans to work more closely with Japanese companies on business investment and development efforts. The Japanese place a high importance on personal relationships and interactions, and having a physical presence in the country is essential to expanding our opportunities for trade.”
Working with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the state has developed a public-private partnership with several Nebraska companies to offset the costs of renting and maintaining the space, in addition to staffing the center. The Nebraska Center will be located in the Shinjuku District.
Gov. Heineman also announced the hiring of Koji Nagasaka, who will serve as executive director of the Nebraska Center. Nagasaka will lead a team working to promote the state’s products and services, connect Nebraska businesses with Japanese business owners, and participate in Japanese trade shows. The office will also conduct market research and help develop marketing campaigns.
“Mr. Nagasaka’s experience will be key to helping Nebraska achieve its full potential in Japan,” Gov. Heineman said. “Companies spend a great deal of time building relationships and developing trust with potential Japanese partners, and he will serve as a important link in helping Nebraska businesses hit the ground running in this major Asian market.”
Nagasaka has been employed for most of his career by Itochu Corporation, the world’s 17th largest company, where he was involved in the aerospace, biotech and chemical, textile, bio-fuels, agricultural, and logistics industries. His management experience includes work in its oilseeds, grains collection and export, soybean, air cargo and real estate sections. He has also worked with Cargill Inc., where he was stationed in several different cities, including Central City, Neb. Most recently, he served as deputy secretary general for Itochu Shayu-Kai, a nonprofit organization serving retired employees of Itochu Corporation.
Joining the Governor for the announcement were Nagasaka, DED Director Richard Baier and Nizar Mamdani, executive director of the Office of International Healthcare Services for UNMC.
Baier said, “Locating the Nebraska Center in the heart of Tokyo’s business district is a sound strategy that we hope will reap tremendous benefits for Nebraska and Japanese businesses alike. Japan is the third-largest importer of Nebraska products. We knew it would be important to establish a physical presence to facilitate the growth of that market, and now we have one.”
Mamdani said, “The international program at the Medical Center has grown to more than 100 strategic global partners in 41 countries, and each year facilitates bringing in hundreds of international patients for treatment, as well as many international researchers, students and prominent speakers to Nebraska. Having a physical presence in Japan is truly key for the Medical Center to expand its Asian initiatives in the areas of patient care, research, biomedical, biotechnology, education, and training.”
Other sponsoring partners of the center include the Greater Omaha, Lincoln-Lancaster and Nebraska Chambers of Commerce, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Diplomats, Election Systems and Software of Omaha, First National Bank of Omaha, Oxbow Pet Products of Murdoch, Bruckman Rubber of Hastings, Werner Enterprises of Omaha, the Nebraska Corn Board, Kawasaki of Lincoln, the Nebraska Public Power District, as well as the Omaha Public Power District.
The combined costs of operating the Nebraska Center will run between $85,000 and $90,000 a year. DED and UNMC have pledged up to $20,000 each, which represents roughly half the funds needed. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture plans to contribute at least $3,000 annually, and the remaining funding will come from sponsoring partners.
The office’s computer, telephone, fax, and other services will be available for Nebraskans in Japan to conduct business between meetings and travel. The center will provide a resource to assist in research, contacting and arranging meetings with potential Japanese businesses, providing basic translation and interpreting services, assisting with trade shows and other marketing efforts, and assisting with hotel and travel needs, and coordinating meetings with the Commercial Attache, the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), Shizuoka Prefecture, and other Japanese partners.
|
