More than a year old, economic development organization Intersect Illinois aims to create jobs, support business and attract investment to the state, which hosts nearly 2,000 foreign companies and is the fifth-largest economy in the United States.
Intersect Illinois President and CEO Mark Peterson is thrilled to seize investment opportunities between the Midwest and Japan. The two sides have had a long-running, fruitful relationship because of their shared values, like loyalty and trust, as well as their good work ethic.
During a recent trade mission to Tokyo, Peterson focused on convincing Japanese companies to invest in Illinois, aside from expressing his gratitude to the Japanese companies that already have operations in the state. He also promised to find ways to make business easier and provide more support to investors.
“Innovation is a function of problem solving,” said Peterson, who highlighted that the state’s economy benefits from a diverse profile of companies from the automotive, manufacturing, agriculture and food processing industries.
He also mentioned the increasing collaboration between IT companies and universities to strengthen the state’s technological sector.
Intersect Illinois is planning to organize and take part in more trade missions as part of its effort to connect more businesses from the two sides.
