FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
News Media Contact:
Office of Public Affairs, 202-482-4883
Obama Administration Announces Second-Ever SelectUSA Investment Summit Will Be Held March 23-24, 2015 in National Harbor, MD
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today issued a statement on the importance of investing in America and the expansion of the SelectUSA program – the first-ever U.S. government-wide effort to attract business investment in the United States. The Obama Administration also announced today that the second-ever SelectUSA Investment Summit will take place March 23-24, 2015, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Along with the White House, the U.S. Commerce Department today also released a new report highlighting progress on the SelectUSA program and the growing attractiveness of the U.S. investment climate.
“The investment climate in the United States leads the world, and it continues to improve,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. “The United States is the world’s largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) because investors recognize that we have the most skilled and productive workforce, a stable and open market, low energy costs, a growing consumer base, and an environment that enables innovation to thrive. American companies are bringing jobs back to the United States, and international investors are directly supporting 5.6 million American jobs – that number is likely to grow as our businesses become more competitive.”
“The Department of Commerce is working hard every day to attract more investment, create more jobs, and strengthen our economic foundation. That is why the President created SelectUSA in 2011 as the first ever U.S. government-wide program to promote and facilitate business investment, including FDI and domestic companies considering re-shoring. We are making investment attraction a core priority across federal agencies and SelectUSA has facilitated $18 billion in job-creating business investment in the United States. This year alone, SelectUSA has assisted nearly 500 businesses and economic development organizations, and serves as a single point of contact for ready investors, coordinates investment advocacy all the way up to the President, and provides services and support for U.S. communities to compete globally.
“Last year, the Commerce Department hosted the extraordinarily successful inaugural SelectUSA Summit, which brought together hundreds of foreign investors from nearly 60 countries to explore investment deals throughout the United States. We’re proud of the progress we made since the Summit. But more importantly, we are looking forward to the next SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, MD in March 2015. We invite companies and economic development officials from across the world to join us for another great opportunity to build on our momentum and continue to show that America is open for business, investment and job creation.”
A fact sheet on today’s announcement is available here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/20/fact-sheet-report-white-house-roundtable-investing-america. To view the economic report on investment in the United States, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/winning_business_investment_in_the_united_states.pdf. To learn more about the 2015 SelectUSA Investment Summit visit: http://selectusa.commerce.gov/selectusa-investment-summit.
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