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Trade Mission to Warsaw- Day One focuses on history
WARSAW, Poland — Riding around Warsaw on an oversized tour bus, trade mission members breathed in the city destroyed by hate and rebuilt by pride. Learning its history provided a backdrop for understanding the way Poles do business.
Sunday was the first full day of the week-long trade mission, which will take a delegation of 12 Collier County business and government officials to four cities. They will tour businesses and universities in hopes of building relationships that will lead to economic growth in both countries.
The delegation wants to lure Polish companies desiring to expand in the United States to Immokalee Regional Airport, a central point for reaching U.S., Canadian and Latin American markets. Led by the county's Economic Development Council, they plan to focus on aviation, manufacturing, distribution and biomedical companies.
The EDC started talking with Poland officials in January during a tour of the airport when Naples-based Skytruck Co. LLC, the American distributor of the Poland-made M28 Skytruck cargo airplane, announced it was considering building a new aircraft finishing facility at the airport.
The talks snowballed as the EDC and Poland officials realized the potential for a business and education partnership. In May, the EDC signed an agreement of cooperation with government and business groups from Poland at the Poland Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Tammie Nemecek, executive director of the EDC, said a trade mission to Poland was inevitable to learn about Poles' business needs and to demonstrate a commitment to have Polish businesses expand into Collier County.
Familiarization with the country was the first step.
Poland counted more than 3 million Jews before World War II. In 1939 Adolf Hitler ordered his troops into Poland; weeks later Soviet troops invaded and occupied the eastern portion of the country. When the Germans retreated in 1945, around 90 percent of the country was demolished and all but about 100,000 Jews remained.
Walking the city, members of the Collier delegation eyed concrete buildings pocked with bullet holes. They watched elders tear up at the tomb of the unknown soldier, much like that of the one at Arlington National Cemetery in the United States, and photographed statues depicting scenes from the war, many adorned with flowers in the shape of the Star of David.
The capital city's war remembrances were contrasted by the effort to bring life to the city.
In Old Town, which took 10 years to rebuild, the Collier folks were in awe of its classic European charm, with colorful buildings, terra-cotta rooftops and cobblestone streets.
While much of Warsaw is filled with narrow concrete buildings, Old Town is an entertainment district with shopping, restaurants, churches and upscale apartments. The Americans were surprised to meet many U.S. tourists exploring the city, and to find that most merchants spoke English.
On Sunday night, the delegation met for dinner with several business leaders in Poland to get acquainted before the real work begins. One Poland businessman, a native American, explained why Poles may be hesitant to do business with another country.
Since the fall of communism 15 years ago, Poland has worked to rebuild its economy to a free market system. But the country still is being wounded, said Art Ross, business partner of a consultant to Skytruck Co.'s parent company, PZL-Mielec.
Many foreign companies wanting to invest in the new economy have backed out of promises made when they realized how much work needs to be done, Ross said.
"This is the land of promise," he said. "There's lots of lots of promises, and nothing comes of it."
That's why Ross, who is planning to build the Skytruck facility in Immokalee, is in a hurry to put his money where his mouth is. He needs the credibility, he says.
"Once you take that action, they'll do anything for you," he said.
Chris Lombardo, vice president of Skytruck Co. and a Naples attorney, agreed. Lombardo, who travels to Poland four times a year, said the country has an "old world style" of doing business, which means socializing and face-to-face meetings are crucial for gaining trust. The next step, which will take place this week, is business negotiations.
(Source: http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/news/article/0,2071,NPDN_14940_3228203,00.html) |
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