New Hessen Correspondent for the USA

Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH opens a joint representative office in Chicago together with FRM GmbH

The state of Hessen opened its first-ever representative office in the United States on January 1, 2018 in Chicago. The office is the product of a joint project between Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) and FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region (FRM GmbH) and features Dr. John D. Gatto in the role of the new correspondent.

Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt, CEO of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH, emphasized that, “The USA is our most important trade partner and Hessen is Germany’s predominant business venue for American companies. Hessen is home to more than 1,500 American companies and to around 20,000 US citizens who live and work here and make a strong contribution to shaping the state of Hessen’s and the FrankfurtRhineMain region’s cosmopolitan image. As we intend to further strengthen this position, it is only reasonable to combine the US-based activities of Hessen and those of the FrankfurtRhineMain region under a single roof. The office’s focus on the northern US and Canadian market is a fitting addition to the state of Hessen’s representative office structure abroad. We have also recently opened new representative offices in Singapore and Argentina.”

The joint representative office is headed by Dr. John D. Gatto, a lawyer and graduate of the universities of Giessen and Wisconsin with a wealth of international experience. Dr. Gatto previously served as President & CEO of NRW.INVEST, the investment promotion agency of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a job based in Chicago that he began in 2008. As president for the FrankfurtRhineMain region and new correspondent for the state of Hessen, Dr. Gatto will be responsible for establishing contacts with American companies as well as maintaining and expanding networks with the goal of providing them with information about investment and relocation opportunities available in Hessen and to further the foreign trade interests of the state of Hessen in the United States. The office also serves as a point of contact for Hessen-based companies wishing to gain a foothold in the American market that are in need of pertinent information and assistance getting started.

The office is situated inside the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) building in Chicago. This constitutes an excellent resource for American companies interested in establishing operations in the FrankfurtRhineMain or other parts of Hessen, as the companies are provided with immediate access to useful information aimed at facilitating this endeavor.

Further information is available at www.invest-in-hessen.com.