Pennoni President, ASCE Grand Challenge Pioneer a Worthy OPAL Honoree
The WTCGP is committed to helping our client companies access opportunities in major markets like Mexico - especially during this transitional time for global trade policy. The bottom line is: free and fair trade drives our economic growth and creates jobs in our region. Click here for Philadelphia Magazine story. If you attended our Global Business Conference on March 1st, you will understand why it received such positive reviews. In short, there was no better time to hold a conference touching on the challenges and opportunities of trade. Again, many thanks to all of our expert speakers who delivered in-depth content, leaving our audience wanting to hear more. Read the summary in our newsletter and click on our photo gallery to learn more. Click here for photo gallery. As Spring approaches, it also signals the time of year for our Annual World Trade Centers Day Awards and Celebration. After 9/11 the World Trade Centers Association, in cooperation with the United Nations, chartered a day in May for all World Trade Centers to celebrate "World Trade Centers Day," to honor global peace and prosperity through trade. On May 11th at the National Constitution Center, we will gather the international business community and once again honor a global business leader and two member companies for their global vision, achievement and contribution to making Greater Philadelphia a world-class region.
Throughout the year, we remain committed to providing you with informative and timely programs to support your global success. Please refer to our calendar of events and join us for our upcoming events on China, Mexico and Cuba, among others. We also hope to hear more from you. Follow us on social media and if you aren't already a member of the WTCGP, please consider joining. Sincerely, Linda Mysliwy Conlin President, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia This post updated Tue March 28 2017 11:08 AM EDT - Fitzpatrick title incorrectly stated as President and CEO.
NEWS PROVIDED BY PRNewswire/Lenox Corporation One-of-a-Kind Crystal Bowls from Lenox will be the Official Inaugural Gifts From the American People Lenox Selected to Produce the Official Inaugural Gifts For the President and Vice President of the United States on Inauguration Day BRISTOL, Pa., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the eighth consecutive inauguration, Lenox Corporation has created the official Inaugural gifts from the American people, given to the President and Vice President of the United States. On January 20, 2017, Lenox on behalf of the American people will present the custom-made, one-of-a-kind engraved crystal bowls at the Inaugural Luncheon following the swearing-in ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol. Lenox offered these stunning gifts to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), and the design was approved by the committee. Lenox Corporation, the oldest and most prestigious maker of crystal and fine china in the United States, has designed and created the Inaugural gift for the incoming president since George H. W. Bush in 1989. For each Inauguration, the Lenox team of experts work for months to create a gift that encapsulates the spirit of the American people and the new presidency. "It is my pleasure to accept Lenox's official gift for the 58th Inaugural Ceremonies," said U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugurations. "Lenox has once again created a thoughtful and beautifully-crafted gift fitting of this historic occasion, and I look forward to presenting it to the President and Vice President on behalf of the American people."
After working on this project for more than five months with master glass-cutter Peter O'Rourke, Timothy Carder, Lenox Vice President of Design, handed over the stunning pieces of craftsmanship to Senator Roy Blunt at an intimate ceremony held earlier today on Capitol Hill in the Rules Committee Hearing Room. The inspiration for the bowls comes directly from the work of Pierre L'Enfant and Andrew Ellicott who created the layout for the plans of the city of Washington, and defined the borders of the District of Columbia. The bowl for the President features an illustration of the White House on one side overlooking the Jefferson Memorial on the opposite side. For the Vice President there is an image of the Capital overlooking the Lincoln Memorial, and each bowl has a compass rose cut into the base with the points of the compass aligned correctly with the buildings. The bowls are made of lead crystal and are 12 inches in diameter and will be placed on top of black cherry wood bases that bear an inscription of the date and occasion engraved into silver-plated plaque. "Lenox is honored to have been the first American china to be used in the White House and to have been selected as the designer and manufacturer of choice for the past 28 years to produce the Inaugural Commemorative Gift for the President and Vice President of the United States of America," said Katrina Helmkamp, CEO of Lenox Corporation. For 99 years, Lenox has created fine china dinnerware for the White House as well as the vice president's official residence, over 300 U.S. Embassies and more than half of the governors' mansions. Lenox became the first American china to be used in the White House in 1918 when President Wilson commissioned the company to create a 1,700-piece service bearing the presidential seal in raised gold. Over the years, Lenox has created new state services for five additional presidents - Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush - that reflect not only the style of the day, but the timeless beauty of Lenox's renowned ivory china. About Lenox Corporation Founded in 1889, the Lenox Corporation is the largest manufacturer, designer and marketer of tabletop products in the United States. Lenox markets products under the Lenox, Reed & Barton, Dansk, and Gorham brands. Lenox's products which include dinnerware, stemware, flatware, giftware, and seasonal products are sold around the world through fine department and specialty stores, as well as online. For more information, please visit the Lenox website: www.Lenox.com. Source This year we are particularly proud of the success our companies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have achieved. With the guiding hand of our trade counselors, these exporters, many of them small and medium‐sized businesses, now have customers around the world ‐ registering over $174M in increased export sales. Their success is our success and it's at the heart of what we do as a member‐based, 501(c)3 non‐profit organization. This year we partnered with the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and area business and civic leaders, as part of a national Brookings/JP Morgan Chase "Global Cities Initiative" to launch a dynamic export strategy to drive economic growth and job creation for the Greater Philadelphia Region. The resulting "Export Plan" for Philadelphia underscored that there are many more businesses in the Greater Philadelphia region who can and should be exporting ‐ and need the services of the WTCGP. As part of our commitment to the international business community to provide timely and relevant information on the global economy and celebrate our global leaders, this year's key signature events and international meetings included:
Every day the WTCGP opens its doors to help "grow trade" in the Greater Philadelphia region thanks to our member companies, and sustaining and leadership partners. As we continue to grow trade, we need to ensure that we can continue to expand this important work.
A 47-year-old woman whose CT scan shows several pulmonary nodules visits a doctor in Shanghai. The doctor, who that day may have seen as many as 200 patients, tells her she mostly likely has cancerous lesions in her lungs and will need chemotherapy and surgery to remove all 7 of them. He doesn’t perform a biopsy. Fortunately, this woman is one of a growing number of people in China who are seeking medical care in the United States, and can afford it. In her case, a medical tourism agent in China reached out to Ruth Wu, President of Premier Global Care (PGC) and Ruth stepped into action. After an appointment with a pulmonary doctor at Penn Medicine, it was determined that the woman did not require chemotherapy or surgery, as the lesions were too small and low in density to be diagnosed as malignant. Instead, the doctor told her not to worry and suggested a six-month follow-up. Premier Global Care, a newly created medical tourism company was established to fill the growing need and desire for China’s growing middle class to receive life saving medical care in the United States. China’s medical care procedures are standardized and due to high volume, doctors are forced to seek the fastest treatments, leading to increased medical errors. Every year an average of 60,000 Chinese seek medical assistance abroad, especially for conditions related to China’s pollution problem. A recent article in Time Magazine reported that by 2020 lung cancer cases in China are expected to top 800,000.
For the past year, PGC has been working in China to create personalized medical tourism packages for Chinese people seeking anything from critical medical care and In Vitro Fertilization to corporate executive physical exams. Once a patient has connected with PGC, Ruth Wu will work with her team to create a personalized package. First step to a personalized package – review the patient’s medical records and connect with the hospital in Philadelphia (or other US city) most suitable for the patient’s case to come up with the best treatment plan. After discussing the plan with the patient and his/her family, the PGC team will handle all necessary details which may include: obtaining a Visa; arranging housing and transportation to and from hospital and doctor appointments; providing translation services, organizing tourist excursions for family members, and providing other needs such as weekly food shopping. Once the patient returns to China, PGC continues to provide assistance with prescription refills; medical report translation and other needs that may arise such as remote follow up sessions. PGC has brought over 30 patients from China to the United States, most often to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, Ruth Wu works closely with Philadelphia International Medicine, which matches international patients and physicians with access to a network of world-renowned doctors, surgeons and hospitals. Sometimes time is of the essence, as in the case of a three year old girl who had received radiation in China for a tumor that was growing inside her mouth. Unfortunately, by the time the toddler arrived at New York’s Lenox Hill hospital, the cancer had advanced and doctors were unable to save her life. “I accompanied Baby Yao to Lennox Hill Hospital. It was heart breaking to see that we got to Yao, a precious 3 year old, too late for treatment. I ask myself often what if her parents had sought out help a few months earlier,” says Dr. John Bennett, CEO of Premier Global Care. ” PGC is currently managing 4 patients in the Unites States and their prognosis is great. One of those patients is a 34- year old woman who was recently diagnosed in China with cirrhosis of the liver. Chinese doctors told her that she had ten years to live. Follow-up tests in the United States determined she did not have cirrhosis of the liver – she was fine. “She and her husband are so happy about this result” says Ruth Wu. “I have a mission now to help more patients to get the proper care and to avoid unnecessary procedures.” About Premier Global Care (PGC) Premier Global Care is a medical tourism company leveraging Devon International Group’s years of experience in the healthcare and medical industries. PGC is dedicated to advanced medical treatment and personalized patient services. About Devon International Group (DIG) www.devonintlgroup.com DIG is a multinational group of businesses spanning the healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, and international industries. DIG’s nine companies employ over 500 people in 20 countries. The Group routinely partners with entities ranging from small private companies to Fortune 500 enterprises to help achieve its goals of driving affordability and access in healthcare, technology and other industries. DIG has built an extensive relationship in northern, mid and southern China over the past 15 years, and has an office in Shanghai and a factory in Nantong.
Relationships between World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) and its clients are “for keeps.” WTCGP helps many clients in their first efforts to enter international markets – and then, over years, helps those same clients expand into new markets and grow their businesses. VideoRay LLC is a great example: WTCGP began advising and working with VideoRay upon its founding in 1999. “Basically,” says VideoRay Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Chris Gibson, “WTCGP has been with us from our beginning.” Based in Pottstown, PA, VideoRay manufactures portable inspection class underwater robots for use in port security, law enforcement, force protection, offshore oil and gas, hydroelectric, science and research, ship inspection, nuclear, and other markets where clients need to know underwater data and activity. WTCGP initially supported VideoRay by conducting market research on global standards and certifications; identifying distributors for the company’s products; coordinating its participation in trade shows overseas; and procuring trade counseling and connections in the countries Video Ray was considering as potential export markets. Specific examples of support included arranging hotels and electric generators in Japan for demonstrations to industry and military buyers, as well as document authentication for Saudi Arabian transactions. Countries where assistance has been provided included Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UK, Germany, Japan, India, and China, among others. Gibson notes, “WTCGP helped us in each of the 45 countries and international markets where VideoRay is working.”
Two recent examples include a $1.5 million order from the French Navy for Autonomous Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Systems Navy and a $1 million contract from the Indian Navy for a Military Configured ROV. For the India deal, WTCGP facilitated PA Authorized Trade Representatives support for market research and dealer selection, as well as advising on export procedures, including bank guarantees and performance bond placement, with which VideoRay was not familiar. In addition, WTCGP has also connected VideoRay with other resources, including individuals with specialized expertise in freight and export licensing. Educational programming has also been key for VideoRay. “We have attended several educational programs – we attended a Chinese business roundtable through WTCGP’s China Operations Club,” Gibson says. “WTCGP has helped us quite a bit with China. When we set up business relationships with the dealer five years ago, WTCGP vetted companies and went to potential dealers’ China-based offices to discuss possible partnerships.”
VideoRay also participates in WTCGP and PA-led trade missions and trade shows to nations where the company has established relationships. A sample of shows included Rio Oil and Gas Shows in 2008, 2010, and 2012, as well Oceanology International in the UK in 2014. The PA Authorized Trade Representative in the UK assisted with many aspects of establishing a dealer in Norway by counseling VideoRay at the show. The counsel of WTCGP’s trade specialists has been particularly helpful as VideoRay begins to develop new markets. “When our company is developing new vertical markets – not in new countries, but with a new product line – we rely on WTCGP for information that helps us understand different business opportunities within a country with which we are already familiar.” “VideoRay has really benefited from our relationship with the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia,” Gibson says. “The knowledge of exports that their trade specialists possess is wide and deep – they have decades of experience facilitating connections between U.S. companies and businesses outside our nation; an ability to educate companies on exports and international trade in a way that is really customized to each company’s needs; and, beyond all of that, invaluable global contacts to explore partnerships overseas. WTCGP has helped pave the way for VideoRay to thrive in today’s global economy.”
As a culminating event for Bringing the World to Pennsylvania, WTCGP hosted Global Connections: The Greater Philadelphia International Reception, a networking event for the ATRs and more than 100 business, government and academic leaders celebrating the vitality of international trade and global business in the Greater Philadelphia region. Speakers at the event included Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney; Neil Weaver, Executive Deputy Secretary of the PA Department of Community & Economic Development; and Joe Burke, Deputy Secretary of the PA Office of International Business Development.
|
Categories
All
Archives
July 2023
|