PHOENIX (CBS5) -
Gov. Jan Brewer has named a longtime resident of Sonora, Mexico, to fill the post of director of Trade and Investment for the Arizona-Mexico Commission's office in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Ignacio Escalante will serve as a liaison and conduit for Mexican business owners seeking investment opportunities in Arizona, and vice versa.
His mission will be to help facilitate business growth and relocation in both Arizona and Sonora, benefiting the larger economy of our border region.
Escalante has more than three decades of experience in business and finance, including 10 years as General Director of the Economic Development Council of Sonora. In that role, he focused on attracting foreign capital investment. He was involved in the 2005 expansion of a Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Hermosillo.
The State of Arizona first opened a trade office in Hermosillo in 1992. Budget cuts and the economic recession forced officials to eliminate the position in 2008. Now, the position is returning due to a joint funding agreement between the Arizona-Mexico Commission and Arizona Commerce Authority.
Escalante will work closely with the Governor's Office, Arizona-Mexico Commission and Arizona Commerce Authority to educate and advise Arizona companies interested in doing business in Sonora and other regions of Mexico. He also will assist companies in their search for suitable contacts in Mexico for distribution, representation, joint ventures and other commercial activities fundamental to Arizona's economic growth.
He will assist state agencies in the planning and execution of industry-specific meetings, conferences and seminars that promote Arizona in areas such as commerce, transportation and trade corridors, tourism, educational institutions, and health-related services.
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Ignacio Escalante
