More than 50 Utah business leaders have formed the Utah Pacific Rim Business Council in an attempt to improve business ties between Utah and Pacific Rim countries.
The group plans to promote and develop trade, investment and information exchange between Utah and the Pacific Rim, said Joel Momberger, a member of the council's board of trustees.Executives representing pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, industrial manufacturers, foreign trade companies and technology/computer related businesses attended the group's inaugural meeting this month.
Representatives of the Utah department of economic development and the Japanese, Chinese and Korean communities were also represented.
"Many Utah companies are already engaged in profitable business ventures in Pacific Rim counties, and this organization will assist others in establishing and maintaining ties, too," Momberger said.
Momberger, an attorney, recently returned to Utah after working two years in Seoul, South Korea, as a foreign legal consultant. In Korea, he was associated with Kim & Chang, the largest law firm in northern Asia. He worked in technology licensing, negotiating and documenting multinational joint ventures and international trans-actions.
The council will meet monthly to help identify investment opportunities in Utah that would be attractive to Pacific Rim investors; to encourage and promote export of Utah goods and services; and to create a forum for free exchange of ideas and information.
Membership in the non-profit organization is $20 annually for individuals and $50 for corporate members.
For more information, call Momberger at the law firm of Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy at 532-3333.