On Wednesday and Thursday, Governor Cooper met with 14 companies in Switzerland as part of an economic development trip, including Syngenta, ABB and Novartis. He also met with the Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda. The Governor hosted a roundtable with various companies and officials including the US Deputy Chief of Mission Brad Bell.
The Governor discussed investment opportunities and job creation in North Carolina. Switzerland is the 5th largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina.
The North Carolina delegation includes the Governor and First Lady as well as officials from the Office of the Governor, NC Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Over the course of the trip, the North Carolina leaders plan to meet with representatives of 20 companies as well as regional trade associations and senior government officials.
More than 1,700 foreign companies chose North Carolina for their operations supporting 303,600 jobs. More than 550 companies announced new projects in the last decade which have created 59,000 jobs and $36 billion in capital investment. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina behind Japan, with Switzerland and France the 5th and 12th largest, respectively.
Throughout the trip, Gov. Cooper will remain in regular contact throughout the day with his Cabinet Secretaries and staff in North Carolina and continue to direct state business.
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