International business panel discusses foreign partnerships in Middle Ga.

A symposium at Wesleyan College last week highlighted the importance of foreign business relationships and the roots of international connections in Macon.

The 6th Annual Global Trade and Investment Symposium brought together business people, foreign diplomats and Wesleyan students to discuss Georgia’s markets for international trade.

Chris Smith, one of the event’s sponsors and opening speaker, has been organizing the event since its beginning seven years ago.

The symposium serves as a platform for learning about global investments outside of a big city like Atlanta, Smith said. 

Smith has also served as the honorary consul to Denmark for the past 18 years, maintaining relationships with Danish companies including defense and aerospace manufacturer Terma in Warner Robins and exhaust and emission systems manufacturer Dinex in Dublin. 

There are 75 consuls from foreign countries in Georgia, Smith said, most of whom contribute to connecting with foreign companies that help generate an annual $40 billion in state exports.

“In the central part of the state, we’re ripe to have these types of meetings because we can draw people from north, south, east and west,” he said.

The main discussion panel included company representatives from YKK AP and Delta, a French diplomat and Stephen Adams, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority’s executive director.

Adams said companies stick around Macon because of trust formed through long and healthy business relationships.

He added that companies contribute to Macon’s culture, like with YKK’s sponsored medical exchange program with Macon’s sister city, Kuroko, Japan, which is also YKK’s origin city.

“We have business relationships with companies that are headquartered in countries around the world, and their people are coming from those countries into our community on a regular basis,” Adams said. 

Because of Delta’s connection to Macon and the presence of Atlanta’s French consul, panelists spoke and shared a video about Delta’s project to send to veterans back in Normandy, France.

Delta celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1925 as Huff Daland Dusters in Macon.

Local diplomats offer access to potential international companies, Adams said, and can help create advocates for Macon’s “international community.”

“What we do in our business is very much a relationship business,” he said. “So any chance we get to develop those relationships, broadcast our message out there, is certainly a great opportunity for us.”