Making connections in India

One of REDI’s core goals is to attract new companies to Greater Cincinnati. And, attracting international companies is an exciting opportunity to grow our economy. In April, I had the chance to visit 15 Indian companies interested in locating or expanding their presences in the U.S. – all the while making the case why Greater Cincinnati is the best place to locate. 

This year, our goal was to build off the success we experienced in 2015. During our last trip, we secured market visits from several Indian companies to Greater Cincinnati. These trips allowed business leaders to see firsthand why our region’s business climate and culture are a good fit. Also in 2015, REDI successfully recruited an Indian company to open an office in our region. That company is expected to hire 75 to 80 full-time employees when it is fully operational. 

Expanded focus

This year, the team focused on two industries – automotive and information technology – during our visit to India’s capital New Delhi, tech-hub Bangalore and Cincinnati’s sister city Mysore. During our meetings, we were able to share three key strengths about our regional market that are important to these growing companies:

•  Location is key. Expanding automotive companies need to be close to their current clients as well as prospective clients. Greater Cincinnati is ideal because of our proximity to other automotive companies in Ohio and Michigan. Additionally, We are perfectly positioned to capitalize on the industry’s growing presence in the south and southeast.
•  Long-term costs matter. Greater Cincinnati is the least-costly region in which to do business. This designation from KPMG is a difference maker that – when combined with our geographic location – makes it easy to see why companies thrive here.
•  Regional collaboration makes an impact. We met with a fast-growing information technology company that’s been exploring the U.S. market for about a year. While the company is looking for customers, its leadership pointed out Greater Cincinnati’s “all-in” approach was attractive. They are experiencing the region’s efforts to help them feel welcome while offering multiple opportunities to develop their business. When competing coastal regions haven’t jumped in to offer time and assistance, representatives from across Greater Cincinnati demonstrated we can provide necessary support to locate – and grow – the business.

Now – what can we, as a region, do next?

1. With any trip, follow up is critical. We know when a company makes its first visit to our market, we make a point to spend time with company leaders to talk about the business climate, Greater Cincinnati and regional success stories. Our goal is for these company leaders to leave our region understanding how we can support their businesses.
2. Continued conversation and regional promotion keep Greater Cincinnati top of mind. We know our region is a great place to do business, and we’re seeing that message resonate with company leaders overseas. The more success stories we share among partners, through social media and with other communication vehicles, the louder the message will be.
3. We need to keep visiting. REDI offers a number of opportunities to interact with prospects and consultants on our trips. In India, the team met with 15 companies that could expand in the U.S. The more touches we make with those company leaders, the better our chances they will strongly consider Greater Cincinnati when they’re ready to locate in the U.S.

Interested in joining REDI on a similar mission in the U.S. or abroad? Contact the REDI team to learn how you can get involved.