Guest post by Mara Lee, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the International Trade Administration. Cross post from Tradeology.gov, the official blog of the International Trade Administration

You don’t have to look far to find something in your life that is produced by an international company operating in the United States. It might be the dishwasher in your kitchen, the brake pads on your car, or the elevator in your apartment building.

You also won’t have to look far to find jobs supported by foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. There are more than five million of them throughout the country, covering every state in both rural and urban communities.

Those are five million reasons why FDI is an important ingredient in the recipe for continued economic growth in the United States.

President Obama has made it a priority to attract more FDI to the United States, helping support more jobs and economic growth. A key tool in his efforts is the upcoming SelectUSA Investment Summit.

The Summit will connect global investors with U.S. leaders who are ready to showcase local investment projects. Economic development organizations from 15 states have already confirmed attendance at the event, offering myriad investment opportunities around the country.

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker also announced an impressive lineup of government and business leaders to share important lessons about the advantages of investing in the United States – advantages ranging from our educated workforce, our relatively low energy costs, and the long history of ingenuity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that is synonymous with the “Made in America” label.

Private Sector Speakers include:

• Andrew Liviris, President, Chairman, and CEO, Dow Chemical
• Eric Spiegel, President and CEO, Siemens
• William (Bill) Simon, President and CEO, Walmart U.S.
• Daniel Doctoroff, President and CEO, Bloomberg L.P.
• Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO, BlackRock
• Douglas Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar, Inc.

U.S. Government Speakers include:

• U.S Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
• U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
• U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew
• U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman

The Summit will also include various informational breakout sessions, including the benefits of investing in the United States, opportunities for reshoring, business-related visa issues, and promoting and safeguarding innovation.

International and domestic businesses, global investors, economic development professionals, advisors and academics will all benefit from attending the Summit.

Pre-registration is now open for the nation’s premier investment event of 2013. The SelectUSA team is available to answer any questions you may have.

We hope to see you in October!