Alabama looking to Israel for jobs
Trade mission hopes to tap into technology
Sunday, July 31, 2005
A Huntsville-based company is helping to organize an economic development mission to Israel that will include Gov. Bob Riley and a delegation of Alabama business leaders.
The trip is scheduled for Sept. 9-16.
Guest Associates Inc., a business development and technical marketing services firm, has worked with local companies interested in developing their presence in Israel. The trip is one Riley hopes will foster economic development and trade.
"This is a great opportunity to create new jobs for Alabamians,'' Riley said. "We'll promote Alabama and look for companies. Our message is Alabama is open for business and can offer much to Israeli industries and high-tech companies.''
Alabama is one of 22 states that has a cooperative trade agreement with Israel. In 2004, Alabama exported $26.7 million worth of goods to Israel.
Defense and high-tech industries will be given special attention on the mission, according to Jim Tolbert of Birmingham, who is chairman of the jobs mission.
"Israel is particularly strong in these industry sectors,'' said Tolbert, a private businessman. "There are good opportunities to grow business partnerships.''
He sees it as an opportunity to continue to put Alabama on the map when it comes to a globalized economy.
"The purpose of the trade mission is to create economic development opportunities for the state of Alabama,'' Tolbert said. "What makes Israel different is its incredible concentration of high-technology industries in a very small geographic area.
"We think there are a couple of opportunities, either bringing over Israeli technology or Israeli companies, where the potential impact on the state's economy could be fairly impressive.''
Tolbert said the Alabama Development Office should be credited for bringing a number of international business opportunities to Alabama. "Whether it be the auto industry, whether it be EADS in Mobile that was recently announced, I think Alabama is really beginning to distinguish itself in the international economy,'' Tolbert said.
Tolbert said the trade mission is an excellent way to combat outsourcing, where a number of American jobs have been sent to countries with lower production costs.
"This is an anti-outsourcing type of trade mission,'' said Tolbert, who expects more than 20 people to be a part of the trip. "Israel is not offering lower cost production. The opportunities we see with this trade mission are using the complementary nature of the Israeli technology and the Alabama work force and production capacity to bring some of those technologies over here and use that to create jobs here.''
Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, is also optimistic about the trip.
"Gov. Riley's strong sales and extensive business background have proven effective in previous visits overseas,'' said Wade. "We believe this mission will again deliver positive results for Alabama.''
The mission is being organized by the ADO, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Tech Birmingham.
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