NORTHWESTMIDWEST ALLIANCE

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NORTHWEST-MIDWESTALLIANCE
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NMA - WHAT IS IT ?

• The Northwest-Midwest Alliance (NMA) is
• a Partnership of regional
• businesses, institutions, and agencies
  dedicated to building business linkages between
  Northwestern Ontario and the U.S. Midwest.

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NMA ORGANIZATION
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NMA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

• Identify successfully realize trade
  opportunities.
• Promote and enhance export trade activity in
  Ontarios Northwest region.
• Prepare, implement maintain a long-term export
  development plan.
• Identify key sectors prepare trade development
  strategies.

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Why Promote Exporting to the U.S. Midwest from
the Northwest?

• Easy access
• NWO is cost competitive
• A huge, wealthy and growing market
• Significant northbound trade in terms of tourists
• Three ports of entry from the Northwest
• 35 million people within a 1 day drive
• Minneapolis is a 5-hour drive from either Fort
  Frances or Thunder Bay
• Chicago is 10.5 hours away
• Excess demand in Upper Midwest U.S. for labour
  and materials
• Greater Minneapolis Area predicted to grow by 1
  million people by 2010

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TRADE SUCCESSES

• Training Programs for Export Champions.
• Trade Export Workshops for Companies.
• Development of NMA Trade Strategy.
• Partnership with senior government and
  stakeholders to sustain and develop Regional
  Export Program.
• U.S. trade relationships developed with key
  stakeholder groups.
• Ongoing pursuit of BDA and matchmaking
  intelligence.

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TRADE SUCCESSES

• Direct export benefits to regional companies -
  through training, matchmaking, contact referrals,
  networking, tradeshow trade-mission partnership
  opportunities, targeted leads and dissemination
  of relevant trade information
• Norfab ? GRK Canada Ltd. ? Granite
  Tops Inc.
• Tomlinson Blueprinting Drafting ? Wardrop
  Engineering
• Tangent Stair Manufacturing ? Unitized
  Manufacturing
• Totally-U Imaging ? Buchanan Forest
  Products Ltd.
• Floyds Auto Glass ? Inukshuk Man ? Barrow
  Carving
• Extreme Adventures Canada ? Computer
  Mind
• Birchgrove Cabinets ? High Energy
  Manufacturing Ltd.
• Lac Lu Industries ? Gingrich Woodcrafters ? KGM
  Rudnicki Machine ?

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NMA CURRENT STATUS

• Strategic Plan being implemented by NMA
  Management Committee (NMAMC).
• Secured FedNor funding assuring NMA activities to
  2005.
• Protocols developed for NMA/NODN.
• Partnership recruitment campaign underway by
  NMAMC.

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2003 NMA PARTNERS

• FedNor/Industry Canada
• Thunder Bay Ventures
• Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corp.
• Rainy River Futures Development Corp.
• Patricia Area Community Endeavours
• Thunder Bay International Airports Authority Inc.
• City of Thunder Bay
• Confederation College
• Ministry of Northern Development Mines

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NMA REVENUE TARGETS

• Revenues needed by NMA for FedNor agreement -
  167,000.
• Revenues to be raised by Partners, Sponsors
  other funding sources.
• YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE

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WHY JOIN THE NMA ?

• Economic development opportunities exist in the
  Midwest U.S. market.
• Regional economic prosperity depends upon
  assisting companies to find new markets, expand
  create new jobs.
• Identifying pursuing new investment means a
  diversified economy and jobs.
• Your company or agency will benefit from an
  overall stronger economy in Northwestern Ontario.
  

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NMA RESULTS

• Increase number of regional companies involved in
  trade.
• Sustain a long-term export development program in
  the Northwest region.
• Solidify trade-related partnerships.
• Contribute to regional economic prosperity and
  job creation.

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Another reason to join the NMA

• STA connected with Team Northern Ontario who
  provides
• more contacts
• more leads
• more opportunities
• better visibility for the North
• Trade Mission opportunities

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There are five TNO ( Team Northern Ontario)
Trade Advisors
There are Five Community-Based Trade
Organizations (CBTOs)
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Chicago Trade Mission with Team Northern Ontario
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Duluth Arrowhead Show Norfab Building
Components, Tangent Stair, Granite Tops, High
Energy Manufacturing, GRK Fasteners
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Minneapolis Builders Show Tangent Stair, Lac Lu
Industries, High Energy Manufacturing, Buchanan
Forest Products Also assisting were Scott
MacKinnon, Geoff Gillon, and Grant Carter All
participants met with Kent Jensen of the Canadian
Consulate
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My approach to Helping Northwestern Ontario
Businessesonce the Export Champion and I have
determined that they are ready, willing and able
to expand into the U.S. market
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• Get a complete understanding of the business
  product or service

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• Review all the promotional literature, web pages,
  and other related sales tools

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• Review the pricing structure to ensure
  profitability and inform of possible additional
  costs associated with doing business in the U.S.
• Rebates
• Advertising
• Insurance
• Freight
• Bar Coding

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• Discuss packaging and logistics

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• Discuss where the business would like to be in
  the market place / what is real / what is wishful

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• Begin the sales prospecting process

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• Connect the owner with qualified potential
  clients and set up meetings

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• Travel with the individuals to meetings to work
  on closing the sale

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• Work with the business on the first shipment to
  ensure all is well before moving to the next
  client and beginning the process again.

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• The NMA program is working well, but we cannot be
  truly successful without your commitment.

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• We need you to keep bringing us possible clients
  for future exporting
• The earlier these clients are placed on our radar
  screen, the better the chances of success

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• We are always meeting new clients in the U.S. and
  from around the world. If we do not know what is
  out there, we might overlook an opportunity.

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Video

• The following video was created to help promote
  Northwestern Ontario.
• The production of the video provided an excellent
  opportunity to quickly get to know the companies
  involved.

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Thank you