2012-06-19 01:00

Two to Represent Fort Worth at U.S./China Investment & Trade Conference

Steve Boecking, Vice President of Hillwood Properties who oversees the 9,600 acre    Foreign-Trade Zone at Alliance, and Mae Ferguson, President/CEO of Fort Worth Sister Cities International, leave this week for the U.S./China Cities Economic and Investment Conference in Nanjing, China.  Boecking is representing the Fort Worth Chamber of  Commerce and Ferguson the City of Fort Worth. More than 40 U.S. and Chinese cities will attend the conference focusing on bilateral  investment especially Chinese investment in the U.S.  Both Boecking and Ferguson will join discussions on why the North Texas region is an attractive place to do business and live. In 2010, a Fort Worth delegation of Sister Cities board members, representatives from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Worth and local business leaders   visited China to determine which city to invite to become Fort Worth’s sister city.  The Fort Worth city council unanimously selected Guiyang, China,  Fort Worth’s eighth sister city and the 124^th U.S. city to form a sister city partnership in China. “Since becoming sister cities with Guiyang Fort Worth has been focused on developing economic relations and this is a perfect opportunity to make that happen.  We want to be at the table and  encourage our new friends to invest here.  This will bring an          economic impact to the area, as well as provide a rich cultural education,” said Ferguson. DFW Airport and the City of Dallas are sending a delegation as well.  Mayor Mike      Rawlings will lead the group along with Robert Hsueh, Chairman of  the DFW Airport board and Jeff Fegan, DFW Airport CEO.  Both groups hope to encourage direct flights from China to DFW.