The Kentucky World Trade Center (KWTC), in partnership with Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), Sister Cities of Louisville (SCL) and the Leeds City Council, led a group of companies and organizations on a trade mission from Louisville to the United Kingdom (UK), June 6-11, 2005. The group traveled to Leeds, a major economic center in the UK, currently working towards a Sister Cities agreement with Louisville.

The goal of the mission was to help Louisville companies sell products, source products, form joint ventures, or establish sales or manufacturing operations in the Yorkshire & Humber region. Erik Eaker, Director of International Business Development, Humana stated: "I've never made such progress in such a short amount of time. Don't underestimate the importance of your trade missions to large companies as well as to small and medium-sized companies."

Delegates attended the annual Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC), the biggest and most prestigious business event in the Y&H Region, offering delegates the chance to network with the region’s leading companies. Speakers at the YIBC included Archbishop Desmond Tutu and U.S. General Colin Powell.

As a result of the mission, an agreement was signed between GLI and the Leeds Chamber of Commerce & Industry to cooperate more closely on reciprocal trade and investment opportunities. To begin this partnership, Leeds Metropolitan University offered Louisville companies access to free office space and administrative support at their business incubator downtown. Services at the incubator include access to IT, fax, broadband, photocopying, printing, meeting rooms, university resources and expertise, a dedicated business advisor, help with funding, and more.

The KWTC, SCL and GLI plan to host a delegation of Leeds companies traveling to Louisville from December 5-7, 2005. If you are interested in meeting with the delegation, please contact the KWTC at 502-574-2400 or kwtc@louisvilleky.org.

About Leeds
The United Kingdom is Kentucky’s third largest trading partner. Kentucky companies sell over $850 million worth of goods there annually. Leeds has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and is the financial capital of the north with a population of 718,000.

Leeds shares Louisville's strength in having a diverse economic base. Key sectors include financial, insurance, and legal services, health-related industries (purchasing decisions for UK public hospitals and health agencies are made there), media, electronic communications (a third of e-mail and internet traffic in the UK goes through servers based in Leeds), manufacturing (engineering, printing and publishing, textiles and clothing, chemicals and food and drink), retail and tourism. Logistics is also a key industry because the city is located in the geographical center of the UK and enjoys excellent road, rail and air connections.

Leeds has been developing closer ties with Louisville for some time. Last year, the Royal Armouries Museum opened a section in the Frazier Historical Arms Museum in Louisville, making it the first UK museum to have a permanent presence in another country. In addition, the law departments of the University of Leeds and the University of Louisville have had exchange programs for over 20 years.