Ryan Ray
Day 2 of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s annual International Days event continued Wednesday, with Consuls General and business liaisons from around the world hearing from top state officials in Tallahassee.
In his introductory remarks, Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson relayed a poignant story from a dinner Tuesday night that brought the annual confab into focus.
Dining with Sen. Maria Sachs, Rep. David Santiago, and Consul General for the Netherlands Nathalie Olijslager, Wilson recalled Santiago mentioned how, despite the importance of developing Florida agriculture, the tomatoes from Turkey are among the world’s most delicious. Olijslager, a deft advocate for her home country, pointed out that the seeds for those tomatoes originate in the Netherlands.
So there they were, Wilson said, a Florida economic development leader, a Deltona House member and Congressional candidate, and a Dutch economic envoy, talking Turkey and its tomatoes – but really, all the while talking about the border-defying nature of the new global economy.
Wilson also unveiled a new website – FloridaWins.org – on the importance of global trade on Florida’s economy which he urged conferees to share with their employees and networks.
“More International Trade = More Florida Jobs,” an accompanying video hammered home.
Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold reviewed the growth of the department’s budget and work plan under Gov. Rick Scott in his remarks. He highlighted projects like the new intermodal logistics center in Orlando and dedicated trucking connector to the Leroy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, which he said contribute not just to industry’s bottom line, but to the quality of life in those cities by taking the lion’s share of cargo trucks off of thoroughfares.
And fresh off his public dustup Tuesday with Americans for Prosperity-Florida, Enterprise Florida CEO Bill Johnson told the assembled Chamber guests, “When you’re selling Florida, you’re selling what? Quality of life.”
“We’re not selling beaches and palm trees and retirement communities,” said Johnson. “We’re selling the people of Florida. We’re selling your smile.”
To support his point, Johnson told a story about an Indian company looking to extend operations in the United States who picked a Florida location over one in Texas.
“The people in Florida are much friendlier,” as Johnson recalled a representative’s remark.
