Gov. Jim Doyle is leading a 46-person trade delegation to Mexico, which overtook Japan last year to become the state’s second-largest export market



Gov. Jim Doyle is leading a 46-person trade delegation to Mexico, which overtook Japan last year to become the state’s second-largest export market

Doyle aims to bolster Mexican ties

Trade mission focuses on boosting Wisconsin’s exports

By Ryan Nakashima
Associated Press writer

MILWAUKEE — Gov. Jim Doyle is leading a 46-person trade delegation to Mexico, which overtook Japan last year to become the state’s second-largest export market.

The governor said he will meet Mexican President Vicente Fox and other top officials, as well as tour a dairy farm in Guadalajara and a Harley-Davidson dealership in Mexico City, during his trip that starts Sunday.

Doyle’s goal on the six-day mission is to boost Wisconsin’s exports to the nation and address a number of sticky trade issues, such as Mexico’s ban on U.S. beef because of fears of mad cow disease.

“Mexico is increasingly important for Wisconsin products,” Doyle said Friday. “Increasing our exports worldwide is key to creating a high-end economy here at home.”

Wisconsin’s exports to Mexico grew 35 percent last year to $1.06 billion. Doyle hopes the trip will help the state increase those exports even more next year.

Joining the governor and the state secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture will be 30 business executives, many of whom scheduled their own meetings with potential partners. Those executives paid about $3,000 to take part in the trip, which pays Doyle’s expenses but not those of his staff.

Richard Meeusen, chief executive officer of Badger Meter Inc., said the trip could help his Milwaukee-based company expand its business in Mexico, where it has a 40 percent share of the water meter market.

“We’re getting in to see the Secretary of Commerce, we’re getting to see the people who make the buy decisions for the water meters,” he said. “This is a huge opportunity for us.”

Kurt Koestler, vice president of international sales of the Columbus-based food processing equipment maker Lyco Manufacturing Inc., said he would interview a half-dozen potential sales representatives who would serve as the company’s “local ears and eyes to the market.”

“We’re starting to look abroad now. So far we’ve only focused on the domestic market, but we think that there’s going to be some excellent potential in Mexico,” he said.

The trade mission marks Doyle’s third since taking office in January 2003.

Last year, he led delegations to Japan and China, the third- and fourth-biggest export markets for Wisconsin goods. Canada is the state’s top export market, at $4.86 billion last year.

The state’s largest export to Mexico last year was electronic machinery, such as audio visual equipment and parts, which shot up 151 percent to $218 million.

That was followed by industrial machinery, including computers, which rose 19 percent to $212 million, and paper products, which rose 37 percent to $122 million.

Doyle said making cultural and educational exchanges was a key driver of trade growth, and noted President Fox spent his freshman year of high school in Prairie du Chien.

“He is well aware of Wisconsin, and we look forward to really building on that strong relationship,” he said.

“People, like in this country and everywhere in the world, tend to do business with people they know and people they trust,” Doyle said. “Very much a part of our trade mission is to make sure we have those strengthening friendships between Mexico and the state of Wisconsin.”

The governor set up a Web site so people can find out what he’s doing in Mexico.

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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March 5, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News San Diego RPCVs host reception with Gaddi Vasquez on March 6 4 Mar Alaska RPCVs speak for dividend 4 Mar Western North Carolina's RPCVs sponsor Africa Night on March 6 3 Mar Maryland RPCVs lobby their Senators for Peace Corps 3 Mar Connecticut RPCVs hold fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar Charles Baquet speaks at Louisiana PC Breakfast on March 4 28 Feb RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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March 5, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Senate FR Committee approves $345 M PC budget 4 Mar RPCV's "Kennedy's Kitchen" records second CD 4 Mar Sam Farr asks Army to reconsider burial policy 3 Mar Bayanihan jewelry designed by Philippines RPCV 2 Mar Todd Vetter receives calling during PC service 2 Mar Sargent Shriver still on Washington's A-list 2 Mar Photographer Bill Owens publishes new book 2 Mar Crisis Corps to open new program in Sri Lanka 28 Feb PC wants new stories for "The Great Adventure" 28 Feb Ukraine PCV asks "Is Bush right on Iraq?" 28 Feb Carol Bellamy defends "feminism" in aiding children 28 Feb John Bridgeland discusses role as Bush assistant 28 Feb Paul Theroux recalls high times with Hunter Thompson 28 Feb Elaine Chao Leads Delegation to Uruguay 28 Feb RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years 27 Feb Kay Muldoon-Ibrahim's photography on exhibit 27 Feb Jim Doyle displays political brilliance on tax cuts 26 Feb

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Coates Redmon, Peace Corps Chronicler Coates Redmon, a staffer in Sargent Shriver's Peace Corps, died February 22 in Washington, DC. Her book "Come as You Are" is considered to be one of the finest (and most entertaining) recountings of the birth of the Peace Corps and how it was literally thrown together in a matter of weeks. If you want to know what it felt like to be young and idealistic in the 1960's, get an out-of-print copy. We honor her memory.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot? Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments.

WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

Read the stories and leave your comments.