Participants in biz mission to Pacific named

Assistant Secretary of the Interior P. Lynn Scarlett released yesterday the names of 15 U.S. firms selected to join the Department of the Interior’s first-ever Business Opportunities Mission to the Pacific, which will bring potential business investors to Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau in May.

The participants include some well-known names, as well as a host of other companies in such as areas as high-end tourism, high technology, specialty agriculture, education, environmental technology, and construction.

“I am proud to be leading this historic effort to join American companies looking for new business opportunities with island governments eager to attract business to their shores,” said Scarlett, who has been nominated by President Bush to serve as Interior’s Deputy Secretary—the Department’s second-highest position.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior David Cohen said that the mission is a logical next step after Secretary Norton’s Conference on Business Opportunities in the Islands, which drew over 1,000 participants to Los Angeles in September 2004.

“The conference got a lot of businesses interested in the islands, but they won’t commit resources until they actually visit,” said Cohen. “The mission will hopefully bring some companies through the next stage of their decision-making process, and closer to the point where they’ll be ready to do business in the islands. These won’t be the only companies visiting the islands as a result of the Conference, but we’re pleased to be able to bring several companies over at one time.”

The Overseas Private Investment Corp., which provides financial assistance to U.S. companies working on overseas projects, is also participating in the mission. Carl Reinhardt, OPIC’s director of Investment Development for Asia, will represent OPIC. “OPIC will hold workshops for businesses based in Guam or the CNMI that are interested in doing business outside of the U.S.,” said Reinhardt. “These workshops will be open to any business, not just Mission participants. OPIC can provide assistance for projects in Palau, other Pacific nations, Asia or elsewhere in the world.”

Angela Williams, who is responsible for economic development projects at the Office of Insular Affairs, said that an important objective of the Mission is to support existing businesses in the islands. “We want to create opportunities for businesses that are already operating in the islands,” said Williams. “By teaming up with off-island businesses, local businesses might be able to pursue opportunities that might otherwise be out of their reach. And we’re stressing to mission participants that they need good local partners in order to be successful in the islands.”

Mission participants are paying for their own travel and expenses.

The following companies are participating in the mission:

AIR 2 WATER

Beverly Hills, California-based Air 2 Water produces an appliance that condenses humidity out of the atmosphere to serve as potable water, for use by hotels, public utilities, and other water authorities. Air 2 Water is seeking potential distributors and production partners.

ARGOSY UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWAII

Based in downtown Honolulu, Argosy offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, and is interested in exploring opening satellite campuses in the islands.

BRIDGECREEK DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Bridgecreek has developed a portfolio of properties whose value exceeds $420 million, from Southern California and the Midwestern United States to China and Vietnam. Bridgecreek’s founder was responsible for developing the famous “Little Saigon” shopping center in Orange County, California, which serves as the commercial center for the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam.

COMMON HERITAGE CORPORATION HONOLULU, HAWAII

Common Heritage Corporation designs and implements projects that use cold deep ocean water for a variety of commercial purposes, including potable drinking water, heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, power generation, and specialty agriculture.

DIGITAL MEDIUMS LLC/HIREZ NETWORK HONOLULU, HAWAII

Digital Mediums is a web services and software development company specializing in information technology solutions and applications. Hirez Network has developed point-of-sales systems for the travel and entertainment industry in Hawaii; over 100 companies are currently participating in the network, sharing information and reservations.

DOER MARINE ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA

DOER Marine provides consulting and management of deep ocean research expeditions, as well as custom-built remotely operated vehicles and other submersible equipment and fiber-optic network systems.

EXPRESS ELECTRONICS PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA

Express Electronics is a software development and consulting firm. Past projects include the border/passport control system for the Republic of Palau, concluded after the 2004 Conference on Business Opportunities in the Islands.

FLUOR CORPORATION (GUAM ONLY) ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA

Fluor is one of the world’s largest engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance companies, with holdings, and operations worldwide.

GLOBAL GENERAL TECHNOLOGIES LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA

Global General Technologies produces telecommunications and surveillance systems, with particular expertise in high-grade surveillance video, robotics, command and control systems, biometrics, and sensor support for domestic and border security agencies.

HILTON HOTELS CORPORATION BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA

Hilton Hotels Corporation and Hilton International together operate over 2500 hotels worldwide, 500 under the Hilton brand, and are increasingly moving into the resort market.

L & L FINANCIAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

L & L has operations in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China. Company assets total over $20 million, either as acquisitions or investments in existing firms, bringing (in addition to capital) management and accounting procedures to increase production and efficiency.

NEKTON DIVING CRUISES, LLC FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Founded in 1989, Nekton Diving cruises operates a small fleet of 34-passenger live-aboard dive boats. The vessels, utilizing an innovative, highly stable Small Water Plane Area Twin Hull design, are constructed by Gulf County Shipbuilding. Most of Nekton’s experience has been in the Caribbean, but the company is seeking new locations for their scuba and snorkel cruises.

PLEASANT CARE CORPORATION (CNMI ONLY) STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA

Pleasant Care Corporation is a large privately owned skilled nursing facility operators. It owns and manages 50 convalescent hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living centers throughout California and Nevada. It is home to about 5,000 employees who provide skilled nursing care to more than 5,000 patients.

UNIFIED WESTERN GROCERS, INC. COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA

A retailer-owned, grocery wholesale cooperative serving supermarket operators located primarily in the western United States and the South Pacific, UWG’s customers range in size from single store operators to multiple store operators to multiple store chains. The company sells a wide variety of products typically found in supermarkets, including a broad range of branded and private label products in nearly all food categories. Unified supplies more than 70,000 national brand items and currently offers over 3,900 private brand products. They are seeking new business opportunities in the Pacific Islands.

USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Located in Los Angeles, California, University of Southern California’s (USC) Marshall School of Business provides world-class research and scholarship, preparing students for the future of business. Both U.S. News & World Report and Business Week rank Marshall’s programs among the top 30 business schools in the U.S. (PR)