MANATEE -- Five Manatee County entities will be among 115 from throughout Florida that join Gov. Rick Scott on his trade mission to Brazil this coming week.
“A lot of people don’t realize that Brazil is larger than the United States, geographically,” says Stanley Riggs, owner of the Port Manatee Commerce Center, one of two private Manatee County businesses going on the mission. “It also has a growing middle class population, like the United States had in the 1950s. So it’s a huge consumer market for both imports and exports.”
Riggs, who has traveled to Brazil several times before independently, will be meeting with Brazilian offices for the United Parcel Service, DHL and FedEx in meetings arranged by the U.S. Commercial Service.
He’ll also be seeking to build relationships with shippers, logistics companies, ocean carriers, and “anybody that has something that floats and could make use of Port Manatee.”
“What’s giving this mission a lot of credibility is that Florida’s governor is going,” Riggs said. “That opens more doors for all of us.”
Brazil, which boasts the world’s ninth-largest economy, is also Florida’s largest trade partner, accounting for exports valued at more than $14.7 billion in 2010, an increase of almost 30 percent over 2009.
Its unemployment rate is low, and it has attracted lots of foreign investors.
“Manatee County and the state of Florida are well-positioned to capitalize on Brazil’s booming economy,” said Sharon Hillstrom, interim executive director the Manatee County Economic Development Council, who also is participating in the trade mission.
Esprix Technologies, a south Manatee County company, hopes to make connections for its “unique chemistries.” Esprix’s products include specialized materials for imaging systems, electronics, ceramics and textiles.
One of its upcoming developments, a new research and development facility for toners, may prove especially fruitful for Brazilian companies, said Marianne Cowger, the company’s executive administrator, who is one of two Esprix employees participating in the mission.
The new facility will be North America’s only research facility for toners, Cowger said.
“We consider Brazil to be a gateway for Esprix to get our materials recognized and bring jobs back to Florida,” Cowger said.
Also participating in the five-day mission are Steve Tyndal, senior director of trade development and special projects at Port Manatee, and Karen Stewart, Manatee County’s economic development coordinator.
The Brazil trade mission is among at least six international missions coordinated by Enterprise Florida, the state’s public-private economic development entity, this year. Other countries that have been the subject of trade missions include the Dominican Republic, Columbia, Chile, Peru and South Africa.
Next week’s mission is the first one for Brazil since 2007, said Jay Sumners, trade specialist with Enterprise Florida.
Christine Hawes, Herald business writer, can be reached at (941) 745-7081.
