News - Hardee County Chamber of Commerce

Hardee County Chamber of Commerce News Archive

Hardee County Entertains Foreign Trade

Hardee County was a destination on April 25^th for a group of 46 business individuals from the Dominican Republic on their quest to build relationships with new business people and expand their area for business trade.

The Hardee County Chamber of Commerce and Hardee County Economic Development Commission were contacted by the Florida Foreign Trade Association organization that expressed an interest in coming to the interior of Florida and asked if Hardee County would be interested in being the host county. An initial meeting took place including Board members of the Hardee County Chamber of Commerce, the Hardee County Economic Development Commission, the City of Wauchula, a representative from Enterprise Florida and the President of the Florida Foreign Trade Association. The importance of this meeting was to hear the expectations of Enterprise Florida and the Florida Foreign Trade Association and what our County needed to provide and what might be the outcome of the visit. The goal of the Florida Foreign Trade Association event was to match potential local businesses with buyers from the Dominican Republic and match products wanting to be purchased and sold.

The event, held at the Best Western Hotel in Hardee County was well attended by local businesses and was a great experience for the City of Wauchula and Hardee County as business relationships were being made and as a result, contracts being signed opening up international trade for businesses in our area. In addition, currently three individual groups of investors from the Dominican Republic will be returning to look and invest in commercial and residential properties. This event also served as a platform for our local governments to market the area as a great environment to live, work, play and grow.

Ralph Puga, President of the Florida Foreign Trade Association, said “members of the Dominican Republic delegation expressed their enjoyment with the tour and the honesty and sincerity of the business people they spoke with, along with the friendly and family-like atmosphere they felt during their stay.”

During the opening ceremony of the event, a presentation of the keys-to-the-city were given by Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Conerly as a special honor for visiting attendees Ralph Puga President of the Florida Foreign Trade Association, Ilka Gomez American Chamber of Commerce to the Dominican Republic, and Misty Kane International Marketing Specialist International Trade & Business Development, of Enterprise Florida accepting the key- to-the-City for Luis Cuervo Director, Latin America & Caribbean International Trade & Business Development. City Manager Rick Giroux and County Manager Lex Albritton greeted the delegates and spoke to them about Wauchula and Hardee County attributes and current and future projects.

Delegates were treated to a helicopter ride provided by Bill Crews, owner of Wauchula State Bank and were shown various points of interest in the county during the flight.

Jose J. Canales, Jr. of J. Canales Consulting Inc. said we can expect future missions from the country of Peru and the Caribbean this year. He said we can be proud to have the opportunity for our cities and county to get the exposure, experience and business from these future missions.

From Mr. Canales:

Hello all,

Here are some facts and my take on the whole event. The event was a great experience for the city and the county as a whole because business relationships where made and as the result contracts are being signed and 3 individual groups of investors from the Dominican Republic are coming back to the area to invest in commercial and residential properties and some have already spoken to Lavon Cobb about arrangements at the Best Western Inn.

This event also was a platform for our local government to market the area as a great environment to live, work, play and grow.

I personally spoke with some of the delegate after they arrived in Miami to finish their Trade Mission tour and they expressed their enjoyment with the Hotel how comfortable the beds where, the honesty sincerity of the business people they spoke with, and family like atmosphere that our business leaders and business participants portrayed at the event.

Translations and expression was great, everyone had a good time. They also loved the helicopter rides provided by Wauchula State Bank owner Bill Crews which gave them a bird’s eye view of Hardee county and the city of Wauchula. They enjoyed the lunch catered by Sonny's Bar-B-Q they loved the beef and the baked beans. It was a big treat for them. They want us to come and visit their country when FFTA do a reverse Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic as they want to show their best for us.

Lots of pictures was taken of the event and the presentation of the keys-to-the-city was a special honor for Ralph Puga President of the Florida Foreign Trade Association, Ilka Gomez American Chamber of Commerce to the Dominican Republic, and Misty Kane International Marketing Specialist International Trade & Business Development, of Enterprise Florida accepting the key- to-the-City for Luis Cuervo Director, Latin America & Caribbean International Trade & Business Development.

This event will get great coverage world wide a press release will be in many publications like Florida Shipper Magazine, Invertir Magazine, FFTA website and to over 10,500 companies and all of South America.

Also we can expect future Missions from the country of Peru and the Caribbean this year. We can be proud to have the opportunity for our cites and county to get the exposure,experience, and business from these future missions.

I want to thank Jama Abbott, President of the Hardee Chamber of Commerce, Lavon Cobb, President of Hardee County Economic Development Office, Rick Knight Board Member of the HEDO, Betty Croy Economic Specialist of HEDO, and Jose J. Canales Jr. President of J. Canales Consulting, Inc. who is responsible for getting all of the players involved with this great event.

Sincerely,

Jose J. Canales
J. Canales Consulting