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Hawthorn Foundation brings Greitens to Europe for second trade mission

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Governor Eric Greitens announced he will leave for a trade mission to Switzerland and the United Kingdom, financed by the Hawthorn Foundation. Greitens is expected to meet with industry leaders, some of which will be in the professional service and manufacturing sectors. This will be his second trade trip overseas since taking office.

“Our goal is to win more jobs for Missouri families and sell more Missouri products around the world,” Greitens said.

The Hawthorn Foundation is a group of business and economic development from Missouri. Its ex-officio members include former governors Kit Bond, John Ashcroft, Roger Wison, Bob Holden, Matt Blunt, and Jay Nixon. The company is supported by large corporations based in and out of Missouri and often hold trade missions.

The trade missions are designed to increase economic relations with businesses and countries. According to their website, their missions have facilitated trade deals worth over $5 billion dollars since 2013. Recent trips include Taiwan and South Korea, Canada, and Columbia and Peru.

Greitens chose the U.K. and Switzerland, according to a press release, because of “the great opportunity that the state of Missouri has in these markets to increase trade, promote job growth, attract investment to Missouri, and create educational and cultural ties.”

The Governor’s office says that about 15 percent of Missouri’s exports -estimated to be worth around $14 billion – go to Europe. Of the state’s exports, the U.K. receives the eighth most and Switzerland receives the 17th most.