In China, things happen on a big scale.
That means lots of opportunities and the reason Central Alberta: Access Prosperity made sure it had a presence at the China International Petroleum and Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition last month.
It’s the biggest show of its kind with 1,800 exhibitors from 65 countries pitching their wares.
Pam Steckler, Access Prosperity investment attraction officer, was there representing four Central Alberta companies directly and worked with other companies at the exhibition. She was among 70 representatives on an Alberta trade mission.
Steckler said she was “incredibly happy” with how the mission went.
“The show was attended by over 100,000 people so the magnitude of it is massive,” she said.
Weeks later, she is still getting emails from contacts in China and which are now being translated.
Steckler said she can’t disclose all of the companies she represented, but pointed to the example of Lacombe’s TKS Industries, specializes in hydrovac services and has developed a unit called SmartVac that can be adapted to a multitude of industries in any climate.
“They have made headway in China recently and Access Prosperity’s representation at CIPPE furthered their efforts to directly connected them to buyers in the industry,” said Steckler.
The success of trade missions of this sort aren’t measured in signed agreements.
“The leads are primarily what I go for,” she said. “I’m the connection point for Central Alberta companies.
“My primary objective is investment attraction,” she said, adding she works with more than 40 communities to pitch what they have to offer foreign companies looking to branch out to Central Alberta.
“But in doing so, Access Prosperity also assists companies who are looking to export into external markets.”