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GKEDA hopes the Chinese are coming - Kokomo Perspective: News

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GKEDA hopes the Chinese are coming Two-week Kokomo curriculum designed to expose foreign investors to best of local community Story

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Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2012 7:28 am

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By Pat Munsey

GKEDA hopes the Chinese are coming Two-week Kokomo curriculum designed to expose foreign investors to best of local community Dan Young In Story

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Communities across the U.S. no longer look at China as a competitor for jobs; that battle was lost as American manufacturing companies engaged in an exodus to China’s lower labor costs and relaxed regulatory environment.

Today, China is viewed as a land of opportunity, and economic development mission trips are conducted by states

file:///C|/Users/mharri48/Pictures/GKEDA%20hopes%20the%20Chinese%20are%20coming%20-%20Kokomo%20Perspective%20%20News.htm[12/6/2013 4:39:10 PM]

GKEDA hopes the Chinese are coming - Kokomo Perspective: News

and cities in the hope that a Chinese company might invest here and bring jobs.

They may be doing it wrong.

Kokomo’s economic development leaders planned their own trip to China. The Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance (GKEDA) spear-headed the effort. But a different message has emerged from the organization in recent weeks. Instead of going to China, it appears GKEDA will attempt to bring China here instead.

“We really jumped up our international committee this year,” said GKEDA CEO Jeb Conrad. “We’ve been talking with our sister province in China. The mayor has led the effort to create a sister city relationship, and we’ve been working with our major employers that do international business to talk to them about ways we can engage our community to showcase what we have to offer and make the connection for more international investment.”

The advice GKEDA received was to try something different, so the organization has created a program to educate Chinese investors on Kokomo by inviting them to attend a “Kokomo College” of sorts.

“The program we are developing with the help of IU Kokomo and Ivy Tech is unique -- there’s nothing really like it,” said Conrad. “It’s basically a two-week curriculum, consisting of culture, government and education, and business -- the things the Chinese are interested in as business leaders.

“We will bring in a pool of people from our sister city to visit our marketplace for two weeks. They can do everything from visit our schools and learn about our higher education process all the way to grabbing a donut and experience the staples of American life.”

The idea was initiated by Indiana University Kokomo Chancellor Michael Harris, according to Conrad. Harris has visited China on several occasions with economic development teams before coming to Kokomo. The goal of those trips was to secure investment from Chinese companies. But Harris believes too many American communities are approaching the problem from the wrong angle.

“If you want to go to China and look for companies to invest here, that’s fine, but the problem with that is, we go there and we try to act like them,” said Harris. “They’re not interested in that. Of course, you want to pay respect when you are there, but the Chinese want to experience American life. They want to know about us.”

On one trip, Harris said that his group met repeatedly with the Chinese in a formal setting and spoke across a conference table to each other. It appeared that little progress was being made. He took the opportunity to interrupt the meeting and break the formal atmosphere, showing off a little American spirit. It was an act that broke the ice.

That incident may have been the genesis of Harris’ altered approach to luring Chinese businesses to American shores. Instead of going there and acting like them, perhaps it is time to bring the Chinese here so that they may experience what it is like to be one of us.

“That is what they want to see,” said Harris. “That is what they want to know.”

GKEDA’s international committee responded to the input by developing a curriculum for visiting Chinese business professionals and entrepreneurs. The hope is what they learn during a two-week visit will be enough to spur them to invest here.

Conrad knows from speaking to other economic development specialists that exposure to the community can make a difference, and Kokomo “I had a conversation with a friend of mine who does economic development in Iowa,” said Conrad. “He had a Chinese businessman stop by and is considering Iowa City for his Chinese business because he happened to visit there as a grad student.

“That’s how we want to connect. We want to get the exchange program working. We believe there is a huge market for us. Chancellor Harris is very broadly experienced, and really, it was his suggestion to get this project going. The idea is to expose our community to a broader base.”

No time frame has been announced for when the first group of Chinese will be brought to Kokomo.

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Posted in News on Thursday, July 12, 2012 7:28 am.

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GKEDA hopes the Chinese are coming - Kokomo Perspective: News

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