Companies Successful in New England

Nova Scotia's latest trade mission to Boston has generated close to $4 million in contracts for eight rural Nova Scotia companies. The companies were in the Boston area earlier this week as part of the Trade Mission to New England program, organized by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and its Office of Nova Scotia in New England.

Fundy Fiberglass, a Cornwallis Park fiberglass products manufacturer, returned with $2 million in sales. "In only two days, the trade mission cut two years out of our marketing and sales cycle," said Vince Baker, director of marketing and sales for Fundy Fiberglass. "The mission got us in front of qualified customers ready to do business. Without this process, we would still be sitting in the office, surfing the Web and scanning the yellow pages."

Other companies on the mission included Avon Emporium, Summerville, Springhill's Blue Mist Pewter, Centuries Past, Walton, Summervilles's Muskrat Lumber, Proudfoots Feeds, New Glasgow, TRACC, Clementsport, and Wind Songs of Lunenburg.

Muskrat Lumber came home with six new customers and $300,000 in potential sales for its modular systems and garden furniture. "It was a great experience -- lots of open conversations on the front line," said company manager Casimir Hagmann. "If you're interested in the North American market, this is the best way to get into it." Muskrat Lumber expects to create 10 new jobs as a result of its success in Boston.

This is the sixth trade mission to New England organized by Economic Development and Tourism since last December. These missions have generated more than $24 million in contracts for Nova Scotia companies.

"The results from these trade missions prove once again that New England is an excellent export market for Nova Scotia," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. "We have to increase our exports to grow our economy and when we go to Boston, our companies come back with sales that are 200 to 300 times the cost of the mission itself. You'll never find a better return on investment than that."

The next mission to New England will feature a high technology trade expo for 22 Nova Scotia companies. A presentation on Nova Scotia's business advantages will be made to about 200 representatives of the Massachusetts high-tech industry. The Nova Scotia companies will have an opportunity to make direct presentations at the trade expo. Massachusetts' Department of International Trade and the City of Boston's Department of Business Development are working with Nova Scotia on the high technology trade expo on Dec. 7, in Boston.