Dutch King and Queen Join Top U.S. Executives for Investment Roundtable
U.S. Companies with Major Netherlands Operations Weigh in on Dutch Business Climate
CHICAGO, June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands joined U.S. companies with major Dutch operations yesterday in Chicago for a roundtable discussion on the Netherlands' investment climate. The event, hosted by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), aimed to gather valuable feedback from some of the country's top U.S. investors in order to optimize the investment climate in the Netherlands for North American companies.
In attendance were top executives from Stryker Corporation, PepsiCo, Ashland Inc., Gibson Innovations and Dow Chemical, which collectively employ more than 5,000 full-time staff at major facilities throughout the Netherlands. The roundtable was followed by a dinner, hosted by Edith Schippers, the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport in collaboration with the Chicago Global Council. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also attended the dinner.
During 2014, the Netherlands recorded record levels of investment by U.S. and Canadian companies. The NFIA assisted in the attraction of nearly $2.9 billion in capital investment by 70 companies ranging from European headquarters to manufacturing plants. Google, Netflix, Palo Alto Networks, Celanese, Medline, American Eagle, Ball Corporation and PPG Industries were among the big names in business opening or expanding Dutch operations.
The Netherlands' attractive business climate, highly educated, English-speaking talent pool and international outlook are among the strategic advantages it provides North American companies. Also of note is the country's superior logistics and technology infrastructure, which includes the Port of Rotterdam, the third largest seaport in the world, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, named the "Best Airport in Europe" for 25 consecutive years by the Business Traveler Awards, and AMS-IX, the world's largest Internet exchange point.
The Dutch King and Queen took part in the roundtable discussion as part of their first U.S. tour since King Willem-Alexander was inaugurated in 2013. Together with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, they are committed to strengthening social and economic ties between the Netherlands and the U.S. and encouraging open communication between the two countries.
The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) maintains U.S. offices in Chicago as well as Atlanta, Boston, New York City and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.nfia.com.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150603/220650
SOURCE Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency
Share this article