On Monday and Tuesday, Governor Cooper met with several companies in Germany, including Siemens AG, as part of an economic development trip. The Governor also spoke with the Bavarian Industry Association, the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger and the Minister for European Affairs and International Relations Eric Beißwenger.
The Governor discussed investment opportunities and job creation in North Carolina. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina.
“We know our strategy of recruiting foreign direct investment from companies around the world creates great paying jobs and puts money in the pockets of North Carolina families,” said Governor Cooper. “We’ve had monumental success attracting companies abroad, most notably from Japan, and I’m excited to be able to strengthen our economic ties and build relationships for our state with companies in Western Europe. Ensuring a globally diverse business presence in North Carolina will open new markets and benefit our economy for decades to come.”
"We are honored to have hosted Governor Cooper and North Carolina Department of Commerce Chief of Staff Marqueta Welton at our Perlach campus in Munich, where they had the opportunity to learn more about our electrification, automation and electric vehicle solutions,” said Brian Dula, Regional CEO of the Electrification and Automation business at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. “As a sister campus to ours here in Wendell, NC, the innovation hub is a great representation of how we are driving technological progress and fostering collaboration both in North Carolina and abroad. Siemens is proud to be a part of the North Carolina community, contributing to economic growth and job creation as one of the state’s leading employers.”
The North Carolina delegation includes the Governor and First Lady as well as officials from the Office of the Governor, NC Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Over the course of the trip, the North Carolina leaders plan to meet with representatives of 20 companies as well as regional trade associations and senior government officials.
More than 1,700 foreign companies chose North Carolina for their operations supporting 303,600 jobs. More than 550 companies announced new projects in the last decade which have created 59,000 jobs and $36 billion in capital investment. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in North Carolina behind Japan, with Switzerland and France the 5th and 12th largest, respectively.
Throughout the trip, Gov. Cooper will remain in regular contact throughout the day with his Cabinet Secretaries and staff in North Carolina and continue to direct state business.