REPORT FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII – HONOLULU – A delegate from The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii including, Dennis Francis, board chairman; Bernie Coleman, board member and chair of the Chamber’s Economic Development and Innovation policy committee; Sherry Menor-McNamara, president and CEO; and Pono Chong, vice president of business advocacy and development, are networking with representatives from more than 60 international markets to promote the benefits of investing in Hawaii at the first-ever SelectUSA 2013 Investment Summit in Washington, D.C. The Summit supports President Obama’s commitment to attracting foreign direct investment to Hawaii and the United States to spur economic growth and create jobs.
“The SelectUSA Summit will give economic development organizations like The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii a tremendous opportunity to meet one-on-one with international investors and companies looking to establish or expand their foothold in the United States and showcase what they have to offer,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. “The Summit is just one facet of the unprecedented, coordinated support for areas like Hawaii that SelectUSA provides. From helping connect their economic development organization and local leaders with overseas markets and investors, to working with them to boost their success rates in attracting new business investment, SelectUSA sends a loud and clear message that America is open for business.”
“The Chamber is honored to represent and endorse Hawaii in the inaugural SelectUSA Summit, which displays the United States as the world’s premier location for international and domestic investors to conduct business,” said Menor-McNamara. “Due to Hawaii’s strategic mid-Pacific location, our state would be the ideal site to hold future conferences and forums with an Asia-Pacific focus. This type of investment would greatly benefit our local economy and business.”
The first-of-its-kind Summit brings together leading public and private sector officials from around the world to discuss the benefits of investing in the United States. Senior Obama administration officials – including the secretaries of Commerce, State, Treasury, and the U.S. Trade Representative – state officials, and preeminent corporate leaders are discussing best practices and strategies to attract foreign investment.
SelectUSA serves as a single point of contact at the federal level for investors and economic development organizations to provide counseling on investment attraction strategy, how to start a business, access federal resources, and/or navigating U.S. Government regulations. SelectUSA is geographically neutral, and advocates on behalf of the entire United States.
As the leading “Voice of Business” in Hawaii, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii is the state’s largest organization advocating for businesses in Hawaii. Established in 1850, the Chamber works on behalf of its approximately 1,000 member companies and the business community, as a whole, to advance the state’s economic climate and help businesses succeed. The Chamber supports its members with training, business building and networking opportunities; lobbies government and advocates on behalf of business interests; and serves as a liaison between civilian and military communities in Hawaii.