Asia, Here We Come

Asia, Here We Come

The Inter-Battery Convention is the world’s premier battery event. In March 2024, a delegation of SEDC members will travel to Seoul, South Korea to ramp up Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) initiatives in the Southeast. 

SEDC will have an exhibit booth at the show. Several meetings have already been scheduled with key players. “We’re going to communicate that our member states charge the future of the EV industry,” said Matthew (Matt) Tackett, president of SEDC. “The Council is a great gateway to the world's premier investment location and our people-and-project-ready communities. We plan to leverage our position to the fullest as we invite the world to the American South."

While in Korea, a 13-person SEDC delegation will also meet with trade representatives at the U.S. Embassy and American Chamber of Commerce South Korea. Direct meetings with EV battery companies (three of the top five companies are based in South Korea) will give the delegation access to industry-specific decision-makers and innovators. Prior to departing for Korea, the delegation will meet with Korean Embassy representatives in the United States in February. 

Chuck Whipple, Director of Business Development for ECS Southeast, is a member of the delegation. “It is paramount to provide our states opportunities to get in front of investors,” Whipple said. “For the past 24 to 36 months the SEDC has had a laser focus on EV and batteries.”

FDI activity is important to the SEDC and its members. The economies of the 17 states in the SEDC rely on both domestic and foreign investment. The work of the delegation to Seoul is crucial to attracting the right kinds of businesses to the United States.

The SEDC is the “landing pad,” said Brian Gwin of Norfolk Southern and Chair of SEDC’s Board. “Batteries are a hot topic, and the convention in Seoul will help investors see that this is the right place to land,” he said. Also, the SEDC works closely with SelectUSA, a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The program has facilitated more than $200 billion in FDI – much of that in the member states of the SEDC.

“There is a big reason we’re going to Seoul,” said Chuck Whipple. “Everything we do is based on relationships first, and business second. Without establishing trusted relationships, trying to talk business is a nonstarter.”

SEDC presence at the convention in Seoul will be a major step forward. “It feels like a good fit for what’s needed by our members,” Brian Gwin said. “This is just the beginning.”