Press release: North Texas hosts nation's first J-Goodtech Bizmatch event to match local companies with Japanese small- and medium-sized enterprises

Media Contact: Ashley Sears

972-580-0662 x19

ashley@cookseypr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTH TEXAS HOSTS nation’s FIRST J-GOODTECH BIZMATCH EVENT TO MATCH local COMPANIES WITH jAPANESE SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

Consortium of local chambers of commerce teamed up for Sept. 24-25 conference in Richardson and Arlington, partnered with Japanese trade group to foster trans-Pacific business relationships

RICHARDSON, Texas – November 13, 2018 – The Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP) and the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN (SMRJ) recently signed an agreement to collaborate in proactively fostering business relationships between North Texas-based companies and small- to mid-sized manufacturing enterprises based in Japan.

The trans-Pacific trade effort kicked off with a business matchmaking conference known as J-GoodTech BizMatch 2018, on Sept. 24-25 in Richardson and Arlington, involving North Texas companies, Chambers of Commerce and other trade associations, along with Japanese small- to mid-sized manufacturing companies. Mayor Paul Voelker welcomed the group to Richardson, followed by the signing of an MOU between SMRJ and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, formalizing the partnership.

Through their two-day visit, 39 executives from 25 Japanese companies had the opportunity to meet with 30 North Texas businesses to discuss potential partnerships and learn how to conduct business in Texas. Following the executives’ return to Tokyo, conversations with these North Texas companies have continued to progress.

Texas is the first U.S. market to have access to the J-GoodTech database, with Dallas/Fort Worth as the first launch point before the initiative expands to other Texas metropolitan areas and U.S. states. J-GoodTech is an online application designed to connect Japanese small- to mid-sized manufacturing enterprises with companies outside of Japan, including in Southeast Asia and the U.S. To date, 12,000 Japanese company profiles and 10,000 Southeast Asian company profiles have been entered into the matchmaking database.

The North Texas business groups and partner organizations that participated in the Sept. 24-25 conference included: Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Carrollton Chamber of Commerce/Economic Development, Dallas County Manufacturers’ Association, Dallas Regional Chamber, Denton Chamber of Commerce/Economic Development Partnership, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Frisco Chamber of Commerce, Garland Chamber of Commerce, Irving Chamber of Commerce, Mansfield Economic Development and Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center.

“It was an honor for North Texas to be the first U.S. location for J-GoodTech’s BizMatch program,” said Mike Skelton, vice president for international business development for the REDP, and director of the Richardson Mayor’s Office of International Business. “This ongoing collaboration speaks to the abundance of opportunities for purposeful partnerships between our companies and small- to medium-sized businesses from Japan, whether they are in manufacturing or other industry sectors. Already, North Texas is a major hub for international business activity, including a number of major Japanese businesses that have regional or U.S. headquarters, production facilities and supplier relationships here. We look forward to fostering many fruitful collaborations going forward.”

“‘Texas is the place to go’ was a consensus within our organization, having gone through some studies including comparative analysis with other territories,” said Shinichi Murai, director for SMRJ. “We were delighted that the business matching event went successfully thanks to the orchestrated efforts by a number of trade associates in the whole North Texas region under the strong initiative of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. With a solid first step made, we are poised to strengthen ties with companies in various industry sectors and to make the most of each other’s expertise that would bring benefits on both ends.”

To be eligible for the J-GoodTech database, companies must first be vetted by national or local organizations to certify their positive financial and ethical business practices. Each company profile in the database outlines the type of products or services it offers, examples of current customers by industry, keywords and other information indicating their business partnering requirements. J-GoodTech staff offer translation services to assist companies in negotiating partnership arrangements.

Approximately 80 percent of companies in the J-GoodTech database are manufacturing companies, with registered companies seeking: customers (for direct selling opportunities); channel partners (distributors, resellers, system integrators, etc.); local representatives with a relevant industry background; and potential locations for business expansion into the U.S. market.

North Texas manufacturing companies and manufacturers' representatives interested in registering for the database and seeking matchmaking opportunities such as those described above should contact either Beth Kolman, 972-792-2817 or beth@telecomcorridor.com, or Mike Skelton, 972-792-2814 or mskelton@telecomcorridor.com, for assistance with the registration process.

About J-GoodTech

J-GoodTech is an online business matching platform connecting credible Japanese SMEs and companies worldwide, operated by SME Support, JAPAN with Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as its competent ministry. Member companies will be supported for success by promoting their company information to the world, leading to optimal business partners for product development and/or new business. Members are approved by authorized organizations (governments, etc.) of respective countries just as SME Support, JAPAN approves all the Japanese SMEs, resulting in a group of highly reputable companies from a wide variety of industries in manufacturing, wholesale or service industry and others are accessible. To learn more, visit https://jgoodtech.jp/pub/en/.

About the Richardson Economic Development Partnership

The Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP), a joint effort of the City of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to building a vibrant and thriving local economy by attracting new investment and jobs through marketing, recruitment and working with existing employers. The REDP offers numerous services to companies considering expansion or relocation to the Telecom Corridor® area, including international and domestic business relocation assistance and professional service provider referrals, site selection, broker and real estate referrals, cost of business analyses, incentives, partner and executive introductions, tours and city information. For more information, visit www.telecomcorridor.com.