The early bird catches the worm – or in this case, the meeting.
It was a good day for Prince Edward Island companies taking part in the Team Atlantic trade mission to New England. The 10 Island companies who are part of the trade delegation were briefed on the New England economy, and spent the day attending matchmaking sessions with potential trade partners in the Boston area.
For most of the companies taking part in the Team Atlantic delegation, the day's events began with the 7:30 a.m. briefing, but Julius Patkai, General Manager of Island Quality Vegetables, had already been on the go for hours.
Mr. Patkai was up in time to attend a 5 a.m. meeting with Community Suffolk, a regional food distributor located at the Boston Terminal, to discuss possible trade opportunities.
"Time is irrelevant when you are dealing in the value-added food processing business," said Patkai. "It is important to explore all of our options on this mission, no matter what time of day."
Deborah Mutch, Marketing Coordinator for Atlantic Store Decor Inc., also had a productive day, being asked to submit bids for contracts during her very first meetings of the mission.
Ms. Mutch met this morning with Trader Joes, a grocery chain, and with Martignetti Wines, a wine store chain, this afternoon. Both companies were very interested in her business, which manufactures interior store fixtures. With the day's developments, Ms. Mutch said the trade mission has already exceeded her expectations.
"Our goal was mainly to get contacts, and now these companies have asked us to bid on their requirements," she said. "Both of the companies are in the midst of expansions. It's perfect timing for us. I'm coming away with two very good contacts to do business with in New England."
Premier Pat Binns of Prince Edward Island said he was proud of all 10 Island companies taking part in the mission.
"I have the privilege of being able to witness first-hand the tremendous amount of work and dedication that every one of these companies is putting into this trade mission. It's wonderful that we are able to showcase the high-quality goods and services that PEI and Atlantic Canadian businesses have to offer," Premier Binns stated.
Team Atlantic is a four-day trade delegation representing the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. The purpose of the trade mission is to establish new business partnerships, increase trade and investment, and build strategic alliances between businesses in Atlantic Canada and companies located in the New England region.
Delegates arrived in Boston last night, and will travel to Burlington, Vermont; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine in the coming days.
Team Atlantic is an initiative of the Conference of Atlantic Premiers and is being funded by the Canada/Atlantic Provinces COOPERATION Agreement on International Business Development, a pan-Atlantic trade agreement between the federal government, represented by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Industry Canada, and the four provincial governments.
Tonight the delegates will attend a dinner with a keynote address by noted international business leader, academic and public speaker Sir Graham Day. Tomorrow the delegation will move to Burlington, Vermont.