Open for business: Dodds welcomes corporate America

US:NI Conference

Invest US:NI

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£70m pledged already at Ulster economic summit

Thursday, May 08, 2008

By Robin Morton

Economy Minister Nigel Dodds has told delegates to the US:NI investment conference that they will find a Northern Ireland that is open for business and a government which is committed to working with business.

Mr Dodds was welcoming the US executives to a reception at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra last night.

He said that his Ministerial colleagues in the Executive and he were determined to build a better future for young people in Northern Ireland.

And Mr Dodds said that Sarah McKegney, a first year accountancy student at Queen's University, who had earlier addressed delegates at last night's event, was representative of the pool of talent which existed in the province.

The Minister said: "When Invest NI started planning for this conference, we had hoped to attract 30£40 senior executives from major US corporations operating in those market sectors where we see the best opportunities for future inward investment.

"With the recent volatility in global markets, the timing was questioned and many doubted that we would achieve this target.

"We are therefore delighted that over 100 of you have been sufficiently intrigued to take the time from your busy schedules to come over from the United States, a majority for the first time."

The two First Ministers later welcomed the American business chiefs with heartfelt descriptions of how the province had changed.

Mr Paisley told them: "We are winning, I want you to get that, we are winning. A brave and wonderful thing has been taken into the very heart of our people. There is a change in all parts of society.

"Things have radically changed, and changed for the better."

He said he wanted the young people present to be brought up in an Ulster they could be proud of.

He promised the potential investors: "The old bad days are not coming back, we have our eyes on a different horizon."

There was shock around the hall as Mr McGuinness declared bluntly: "Ian Paisley is a man I intensely disliked over all of my adult life — and he probably disliked me even more."

He went on: "But it has been an honour and a privilege to work with him in government over the course of the last year."

He said it had been a memorable experience and one which he would take to his grave, along with many happy memories.

Earlier, Mr Dodds said the conference had attracted "the largest number and highest quality "of senior business people from America who had ever visited Northern Ireland at one time.

He said: "This conference is about looking forward but if I reflect on the past 10 years we have seen many positive developments in our economy.

"North American investment has played — and will continue to play — an important role in growing the new Northern Ireland — both directly and indirectly — introducing new activities and creating more and better employment opportunities for all."

The Minister told delegates that during the conference, they would have an opportunity to hear the "compelling reasons" why they should be investing in Northern Ireland at this time.

He said: "You will find a province which is open for business and a government which is deeply committed to working with business, for business."

Mr Dodds said the conference created a unique opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland, and said this was an opportunity that the Executive was determined to take.