LONDON, United Kingdom (May 17, 2007) - Governor Mitch Daniels spent his first full day in the United Kingdom making a new acquaintance and catching up with a former colleague. The governor had a breakfast meeting in the London home of Lakshmi Mittal, president and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, followed by a visit with Robert Tuttle, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Mittal Steel is the largest steel producer in the United States and employs 9,500 Hoosiers at facilities in northwest Indiana.
"It was an enormous privilege to spend a couple of hours with one of the leading businessmen in the world and tell him how proud Indiana is that his company has made such a large investment in our state and workers," said Daniels. "The continued strength of the steel industry remains central to Indiana's overall economic health. It was invaluable for me to listen to Mr. Mittal talk about his vision for the future of the industry and his company."
At the U.S. Embassy in London, the governor spent time with Tuttle, his former colleague at the White House. When Daniels was a senior adviser to President Ronald Reagan, Tuttle was personnel director and the two had adjacent offices.
"I couldn't resist seeing an old friend and converting him into a marketer for Indiana. He is the most visible ambassador to the United Kingdom in a long time and I primed him to tell businesses here about our state as a place they should put at the top of the list when they are ready to insource jobs to the United States," said Daniels.
David T. Johnson, the Minister of the U.S. Embassy, hosted a reception for the state delegation and more than 115 other guests on Thursday evening. The Embassy invited companies with interests in Indiana to meet and exchange information with the delegation. Also on Thursday, Daniels met with executives from BAE Systems, a defense and aerospace company with a facility that employs 700 in Ft. Wayne.
Daniels and a state delegation of about 30 people from throughout Indiana are on a weeklong economic development mission to Europe. The group's first stop was Germany, where the governor spoke to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of DaimlerChrysler and executives from Getrag Corporate Group, as well as a number of other companies with Indiana interests, including Schott, SCHWARZ PHARMA, Freudenberg, and Panasonic Toyota Racing. Daniels and state Agriculture Commissioner Andy Miller and Secretary of Commerce Nate Feltman also participated in a bio-diesel roundtable discussion with government and economic development officials in Dusseldorf.
On Wednesday, after arriving in London at midday, the governor signed a memorandum of understanding with Keronite International Ltd., for creation of the company's first U.S. operation in Greenwood. The company, which specializes in a high-tech treatment process that transforms the surfaces of light alloys into wear and corrosion resistant ceramics, will create 25 new jobs. He also met with executives from Knauf Insulation.
Friday, on the final full day of the trip, Governor Daniels will make opening remarks at the Business Opportunities in the Americas conference sponsored by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited. Participants include companies representing advanced engineering, aerospace, automotive and mobility. He'll also meet with Frank Cheng, CEO of U.K.-based Oxford Biosignals Medical, which announced in March it would establish its global life sciences corporate headquarters in Carmel and bring 120 high-paying jobs and representatives of Tate & Lyle, a food processing company that employs 435 Hoosiers in West Lafayette.
The delegation returns to Indianapolis on Saturday.
Photos of Governor Daniels with Lakshmi Mittal and Ambassador Robert Tuttle are available here: http://www.ai.org/gov/press/media/european_trade_2007.html.
-30-
« Back to News Release List
Link to this event: