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PRPA HOSTS CANADIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MID-ATLANTIC'S 'TRADE WITH CANADA' EVENT PRPA Hosts Canadian American Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic's 'Trade with Canada' Event Event draws shippers and service providers to hear about trade with key Port market The Chilean American Chamber of Commerce has been active in the mid-Atlantic region for many years; so has the German American Chamber. But Canada, the most important trading partner of the USA and the greater mid-Atlantic region, has never had an active chamber of commerce. Until now. On February 24, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) hosted the second event of the new Canadian American Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic (CACMA). The new Chamber's "Trade with Canada Networking Breakfast and Panel Discussion" featured three speakers knowledgeable about doing business with the USA's neighbor to the north. "Given Canada's importance to our region, we knew we needed a Chamber. And based on today's strong turnout, it's evident there is a lot of interest in an active Chamber of Commerce to support the business relationships between our two nations," commented CACMA Board Member Brian Propp. Propp, a former Philadelphia Flyer, is Vice President of The Judge Group, which specializes in Technology Consulting, Enterprise-wide Staffing, Corporate Training and Audio/Visual. The expert panel consisted of David Marshall, Canada's Senior Trade Commissioner and Consul in Philadelphia; Tony Ceballos, Director of the US Export Assistance Center in Philadelphia (part of the US Department of Commerce); and Brian Purdy, Account Manager, Marketing - US Northeast for Canadian Pacific Railway. PRPA's Senior Marketing Representative Dominic O'Brien moderated the panel. Following the networking breakfast, Canadian Consul David Marshall gave an overview of both the US-Canada relationship and the mid-Atlantic region's economic relationship with Canada. He pointed out that over 300,000 Pennsylvania jobs are dependent on bi-lateral ties with Canada, either through trade or as a result of Canadian investment in the Commonwealth. Marshall noted that Canada is the #1 trade partner for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the #2 trade partner for Delaware. The Consulate in Philadelphia is staffed by professional diplomats and commercial officers from Canada, and offers advice, contacts, and support to companies in the mid-Atlantic region conducting business with Canada. Tony Ceballos, Director of Philadelphia's US Export Assistance Center, spoke next. Ceballos' office helps local businesses export goods and services to Canada. He said that the US Commercial Service (part of the US Department of Commerce) covers all of Canada's provinces and has offices in Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. He listed the best prospects for export sales to Canada, which include medical devices, safety and security equipment, agricultural machinery, and consumer electronics. Finally, Ceballos talked about the upcoming RepCan Business Matchmaking Event, and the Global Petroleum Show, both of which take place in Canada and both of which are sponsored by the US Commercial Service. He urged Philadelphia area businesses to consider participating in these events. Next, Brian Purdy of Canadian Pacific Railway explained CP's role in supporting the trade relationship. "CP is one of Canada's two Class 1 railroads linking Canada and the U.S. CP provides transcontinental service," Purdy noted. He pointed out that CP provides 3 rd day delivery from Philadelphia to Montreal and Toronto. Canadian Pacific Railway owns over 15,400 miles of track in Canada and the USA, and handles 2.4 million car loads each year. Philadelphia is CP's southernmost rail head, and CP offers guaranteed refrigerated service, which is of particular benefit to a major perishables hub like the Port of Philadelphia. Matt Wright of 5K Logistics was pleased with the event: "Our full service logistics company does a lot of business with Canada; in fact, we regularly move shipments to the Philadelphia region from Ontario. We look forward to supporting the new Chamber." CACMA's Board of Directors includes Scot DeCristofaro representing the Town of Gander, E. Martin Heldring of TD Bank, Frank Jacketti of Purolator, Kelly Johnston of Campbell Soup Company, Dominic O'Brien of the PRPA, and Brian Propp of the Judge Group. The Chamber's Chairman is Steven Richman of Duane Morris. CACMA's first event was a luncheon featuring the new Canadian Ambassador to the USA, Gary Doer. His visit to Philadelphia was his first official visit outside Washington, DC. The Chamber will do a seminar on the financial and legal issues of doing business with Canada later in the year; possibly an event at a Flyer's hockey game or a Toronto Blue Jays - Phillies baseball game; and a holiday party. "There's a lot of exciting things our new Chamber can do. With a relationship as big as the one between our region and Canada, the possibilities are endless," commented CACMA Board Member Jacketti. Jacketti is the Philadelphia Branch Manager for Purolator, the largest courier company in Canada, and an important freight forwarder. For more information on the Canadian American Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic, please visit http://cacmachamber.com. |
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