Building upon a solid foundation of existing international partnerships, federal and provincial representatives are currently scouring Italy’s Lombardy region in an effort to attract additional investment in Prince Edward Island.
Dr. Paolo Testori, managing director of Testori Aero Supply, was the first Italian-based business operator to see the opportunities presented by doing business in P.E.I. Dr. Testori shared the details of his company’s successful alliance with Prince Edward Island with business owners from Italy’s Lombardy Region during a dinner in Milan on Tuesday evening. The event was hosted by Invest PEI and the Canadian Consulate.
“We were looking for a North American location to expand our operations more than a decade ago and we chose Prince Edward Island. Today, Testori Americas Corporation employs more than 230 people at our operations in Slemon Park and Bloomfield, and I am pleased to say that our company is continuing to grow,” said Dr. Testori. “Much of our success can be attributed to our employees who continue to help our company achieve great things with their dedication and ingenuity.”
“I am pleased to do what I can to advocate additional investment in Prince Edward Island,” Dr. Testori added.
Testori Americas designs, engineers and produces interior kits and related components such as lavatories, partitions, doors, cabin linings and luggage racks for aircraft and mass transit industries.
Invest PEI representatives led by the Honourable Joe McGuire, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Provincial Treasurer Mitch Murphy, are concluding an intensive three days of meetings in northern Italy to encourage firms to consider Prince Edward Island as an investment location.
“Prince Edward Island is an attractive alternative for firms from the Lombardy Region which are experiencing a shortage of skilled labour and of serviced land for business development,” said Minister McGuire. “Invest P.E.I. is working closely with Dr. Paolo Testori to identify and visit companies that are well-positioned to establish a presence in North America. The success of Testori Americas in our province has been very impressive and I believe Dr. Testori has a very positive story to tell.”
Invest PEI representatives are meeting with companies that are currently exporting to North America or within the European Union. The firms have been selected on the basis of their ability, interest and suitability to invest in P.E.I.
“Generally the companies have a specific corporate interest in North American markets, are environmentally responsible and sustainable, employ highly-skilled workers and complement our current business environment,” said Minister Murphy, on behalf of Development and Technology Minister Mike Currie. “Specific target sectors include aerospace, biosciences, diversified manufacturing, value-added food processing and information and communication technology.”
Invest P.E.I. is a partnership of the Government of Canada and the Province of Prince Edward Island to encourage foreign direct investment in the province.
For more information, please contact Ron Crozier,
Office of Minister of ACOA, (902) 888-4150; Lynn MacDonald, ACOA PEI and Tourism, (902) 566-7491 or Julie Whitlock, PEI Business Development, (902) 894-0367.