Welcome the First Ever Irish Trade Mission to Atlanta

   Atlanta has played host to its first ever Irish trade mission. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce (DCC) & The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI), also traveling together for the first time in their histories, arrived together on October 11, 2004. The commitment to travel together is a direct outcome of the building relationships and positive business benefits derived from signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
   In coming to Atlanta for the first time the Joint North America Trade Mission symbolically crossed the ‘green line’, that invisible line that separates where the Irish immigrated into American in the largest numbers, which is drawn somewhere south of Georgetown in D.C. However, since the census of 2000 when citizens could designate themselves as Irish a truly staggering number is beginning to come into focus.
   The enthusiasm with which the Atlanta business community received these first business arrivals from the island of Ireland was dramatic. ICCUSA was able to arrange eighty-six (86) individual, 1-on-1meetings of substance for the seventeen (17) Irish companies who chose to join the delegation, six (6) of these members of the NICCI.
   In welcoming the delegation to Atlanta, Jim Gaffey said, “We would like to formally welcome The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) and The Dublin Chamber of Commerce (DCC) to Georgia and to the southeast region of the United States. We would also like to welcome the Dublin City Council & the Dublin Convention Bureau, along with the delegates of the respective chambers who have chosen to participate in this mission.
   Georgia, and the southeast, provide to companies from the island of Ireland, unlimited new opportunities in a virtually untapped market. In many ways it is experiencing much of the same fast economic growth that is your economic experience. A visitor to Atlanta in 1980 would have found a city/region of 1.1 million people. Today that same regional area is home to 4.7 million people.”
   ICCUSA-Atlanta was joined in welcome the delegates by members of the new Savannah ICCUSA Chapter. Chapter President, Paul Keogh, an executive with JCB Construction Equipment, journeyed to Atlanta to present and overview of the dynamic economic advantages of doing business in Savannah and the reasons why JCB choice to move it’s U.S. headquarters to Savannah from Baltimore. Lynn Pitts, Director, Savannah Economic Development Agency (SEDA) joined him in his presentation and covered not only the vibrant, business friendly environment but focused on the port of Savannah/Brunswick, which ranks as the fourth (4^th) largest port on the U.S. east coast.