Bangor welcomes Canadian firms

BANGOR – Local business leaders and their northern counterparts have spent the past few days getting to know each other a little better.

In the latest round of cross-border cultural meetings, young business men and women from nine companies in Saint John spent Thursday visiting area institutions and learning about the logistics of doing business in Maine, according to Wade Merritt, director of Maine International Trade Center’s Bangor office.

People with Saint John companies such as Geeknet, Evolving Solutions, Artsy Girl, Workin’ Folk Art, Neways International, Diane Huestis & Associates, HIT Media, Brown Eyed Girl and CANLink Global traveled Wednesday afternoon from New Brunswick to Bangor.

After Thursday morning briefings in Bangor about the logistics of cross-border trade, the group met for lunch with Canadian Consul General Stan Keyes, Merritt said. The visiting Canadian delegation then split into two smaller groups, with half touring the Target Technology Center in Orono and the other half visiting the Bangor Museum and Center for History.

Thursday night, the visitors and their hosts were expected to attend a Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce meeting at R.H. Foster Energy in Hampden, according to Merritt. Today, the Canadians are scheduled to meet one-on-one with local businesses. Stephen Franck, director of MITC’s Greater China Desk, also will be in Bangor today to discuss trade issues with the Saint John group, Merritt said.

The two-day event is the latest of several trade missions that have been arranged by officials in the two cities.

“Eastern Maine is extremely interested in forming strong economic linkages with our Canadian neighbors,” Merritt said in a statement about the mission. “We look forward to sending back a delegation of our own in the near future.”

The event is being sponsored by MITC, Eastern Maine Development Corp., Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, New Brunswick Department of Training and Employment Development, Bayview Credit Union, AnyWare Group,

BearBrew Pub, and Enterprise Saint John.