Gov. Mike Leavitt detailed plans Tuesday for his first major trade mission to South Korea and Japan where he will play a role in development meetings between Utah and Pacific Rim companies.
He will arrive in Seoul May 21 and will return home from Tokyo May 28. He will be traveling with 20 Utah company representatives who hope to foster business relationships with markets in the two countries."I hope to act as an ambassador for the state," Leavitt said. "I want to expand existing relationships and make new ones."
Leavitt said this type of venture is an absolute necessity, and he plans to go many more times before the end of his term.
Joe Jenkins, executive director of the Department of Community and Economic Development, said the biggest barrier to trade between Utah and the Pacific Rim countries is the difference between the yen and the dollar with the dollar being in a favorable position currently.
Some of the companies that will be represented on the trip include NuSkin International, Evans and Sutherland, Snowbird, TheraTech and Zions First National Bank.
NuSkin has been in Japan for one year and has done $100 million in sales, said Renn M. Patch, vice president and international assistant general manager.
"We hope to use the governor as part of our strategy to bring revenues back to the state," he said.
Donald Brown, marketing development manager of Evans and Sutherland, said he sees the commitment of the governor to return jobs and taxes to Utah. He also hopes to highlight the tourist opportunities of Utah.
While in Korea, Leavitt will meet with South Korean President Kim Young-sam and will also appear on a Korean television show. In Japan, Leavitt will host a Utah Business Seminar to introduce Japanese companies to the prospects of business development in Utah.
The 20 participating companies will pay the cost of the trip for the governor and his wife.