Turkic American Chamber of Commerce organized a trade mission to Turkey in collaboration with Turkish Cultural Center in New Hampshire and TUSKON . The trip was led by NH Governor Hassan and accompanied by representatives from seven New Hampshire Companies.

New Hampshire governor calls for Turkish investments

Turkish entrepreneurs are invited to capitalize on a number of attractive investment opportunities in sectors ranging from energy to health in New Hampshire, the US state’s governor, Maggie Hassan, told reporters in İstanbul Ankara on.

Hassan was keynote speaker in New Hampshire -Istanbul Business Summit and New Hampshire -Ankara Business Summit organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) and met with Turkish business leaders to discuss potential partnership in separate fields.

Hassan cited energy, defense, health and tourism as some of the key investment fields that offer opportunities for foreign entrepreneurs in New Hampshire, adding that the tax rates in this state are relatively lower compared to other US states. Underlining that mutual trade between Turkey and the US has gradually increased, Hassan said they would focus on cementing Turkish trade ties with New Hampshire in particular. The governor suggested that Turkish investors and New Hampshire-based companies increase dialogue for potential partnerships in the future. She said Turkish business people could fly directly from İstanbul to Boston, from where New Hampshire is only one hour away.

Also speaking at the same meeting in İstanbul, TUSKON President Rızanur Meral said mutual trade volume with the US has reached $19 billion and that $6.5 billion of this is Turkish exports to this country. Meral said TUSKON encourages Turkish firms to explore investment opportunities, especially in the field of research and development (R&D) and innovation in the US. “New Hampshire should serve as a prominent venue for Turkish business to get to know the US market. … The state has a gross domestic product [GDP] of $60 billion, bigger than some of Turkey’s trade partners,” Meral emphasized.
Governor also met journalists and joined live broadcast in Bloomberg Turkey and Samanyolu TV.

NH Turkey Trade Mission: Extraordinary Experience

Hassan told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that she has helped open doors for the state and representatives of the seven businesses that traveled to Turkey to develop potential trading partners and markets. Hassan said she has stressed New Hampshire’s strategic location to Boston, New England, the Northeast and Canada.
Tom Blais, president of motorcycle maker Rokon of Rochester, said he has been on trade missions with former Govs. Steve Merrill and Jeanne Shaheen, and feels this mission is the best organized due to strong research. He said he sees the trip as a way to become a more effective exporter.
Janet Kwiatkowski, owner of MAE Consulting Group, said the trip has opened her company to connections she would not have otherwise had.

Commissioner Jeffrey Rose Our trade mission to Turkey has been an extraordinary experience. Our companies had over 100 business-to-business meetings and are returning home with dozens of high quality leads. Gov. Hassan went non-stop over the past week, meeting with many of the most senior business people in the country and receiving high praise from the more than 200 businesses she directly connected with during the mission. Some of the most gratifying moments of the trade mission came in her meetings with women business leaders and how inspired they were by her.
During the trade mission, I met with numerous senior level executives representing companies eyeing expansion into the U.S. market – a receptive audience for outlining the benefits of expanding to New Hampshire and to map out potential options for their consideration.
Of note is a fast growing international company seeking a potential warehouse/distribution center here in the Northeast. Its overseas investment director was very interested in our lower cost of doing business, compared to rest of the region. Another company that stood out is a leading forest-products company in Turkey, interested in our timber and mill capacity. The company is very successful in Turkey and looking to grow in markets around the globe.
I am confident this is just the beginning of a long term relationship that will continue to yield fruits for both countries as we seeking opportunities to grow trade between New Hampshire and Turkey.