Idaho Examiner: Mexico Trade Mission Called A Success "My Idaho...My Planet Rocks!"

(BOISE) – A delegation of 16 Idaho companies led by Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter returned from a week-long trade mission to Mexico with verbal sales commitments of more than $1 million, trial orders with some of Mexico’s largest companies and a host of new contacts for future sales.

“The trade mission helped us open doors to high-level decision makers at several of Mexico’s largest mining companies,” said Ron Nilson, president of Ground Force Manufacturing, which makes mining support equipment in Post Falls. “Because the Governor made a special point of visiting Ground Force before the mission, he knows our company, our products, and shares our vision for expanded sales in Mexico and other international markets.”

Ground Force has received verbal commitments for sales of high-capacity water delivery vehicles in excess of $1 million. The company received additional requests for proposals to which it is responding, and Ground Force representatives already have returned to Mexico to conduct mine visits and vehicle assessments.

David A. Howell, business development manager for Boise-based Preco Electronics, said the Mexico trade mission put Preco “in front of decision makers within various industries and companies that would have taken us much more time, effort and expense to have established on our own. Participating in the mission was a great value for Preco Electronics as a company.”

A significant part of the Governor’s schedule focused on meetings with large Mexican companies in the food processing and distribution business including Wal-Mart Mexico, the bread and tortilla manufacturer Gruma, and snack food manufacturer BARCEL.

Boise-based PakSense manufactures adhesive labels that monitor the quality of temperature-sensitive food, pharmaceutical and medical products.

“We expect significant growth in the Mexican market in the coming 6-12 months as a result of this mission,” said Gerd Uitdewilligen, international sales manager for PakSense. “Mexico has been one of our international growth markets and we think the interest we received from key players in the food industry during the mission will help accelerate our sales. Our first pilot orders were received within five days of customer visits made during the mission.”

In addition to meetings with Mexican companies, the Governor met with Mexican officials to discuss bilateral trade relations. In a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Alberto Cardenas, the Governor expressed appreciation to Cardenas’ agency for its support of field trials of Idaho bean seed in Mexico. He also discussed unjustified trade restrictions against fresh potatoes and the prospects of expanding market access beyond the 26-kilometer border zone.

Seth Pemsler, vice president of retail and international sales for the Idaho Potato Commission, said, “I believe the governor’s trade missions open doors that could never be opened without his support. I have been traveling to Mexico for three years and in one week, did more to expand our success than the other eight visits combined. Part is due to the access a governor’s visit creates; meetings with the senior people, usually CEO level, versus the three to five layers below that we generally get to.”

The Governor and First Lady Lori Otter also participated in a television cooking show in Monterrey with celebrity chef Lulu Pedraza, featuring an Idaho Cattlemen’s Pie. The entree included Idaho dehydrated mashed potatoes, beef and onions along with Idaho wine. The show aired May 4th on nationwide Mexican cable television.

In Culiacan, Governor Otter and Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould addressed a packed seminar sponsored by the Idaho Bean Commission. More than 50 Mexican bean farmers and industry representatives attended to learn about the benefits of using Idaho certified bean seed to increase their yields.

Mexico has long been one of Idaho’s top 10 export markets and is the state’s second-largest export market for agricultural products. Last year, Idaho companies sent more than $136.8 million dollars in products to Mexico, an increase of 5 percent from the previous year.

“The Mexican market offers great opportunities for Idaho companies,” Governor Otter said. “The success we experienced on the mission highlights the importance of personal relationships and face-to-face communication in business. The contacts made during the mission will support Idaho jobs and help bring greater stability and diversity to our economy.”