I
World
Israel Bound
Automation Alley, Michigan Israel Business Bridge among trade mission hosts.
Robert Sklar
Editor
V
iewing Israel as "a haven for
research and development," a
coalition of business sponsors
will host a trade mission to the Jewish
state this fall in a bid to lure new business
to Southeast Michigan.
Stops on the Oct.23-29 mission include
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, three of
Israel's largest cities. Southeast Michigan
businesses that are export ready and work
in the aerospace, defense, homeland secu-
rity; life sciences, biotechnology, clean tech,
information and communications technol-
ogy, nanotechnology or renewable energy
fields may apply now through Sept. 4.
Trip sponsors are Troy-based
Automation Alley, Ann-arbor-based
Michigan Israel Business Bridge, the Tel
Aviv-based Israel-America Chamber of
Commerce and the Washington, D.C.-
based U.S. Department of Commerce.
Automation Alley is Southeast Michigan's
largest technology business association.
The trip will dem-
onstrate the extraordi-
naril' vibrant business
community that exists
in Israel and the abun-
dant opportunities for
Michigan-Israel part-
nership, says Michigan
Israel Business Bridge
Ron Perry
Executive Director Ron
Perry.
"Israel's largest trading partner is the
United States in terms of both imports
and exports," said Automation Alley
Executive Director Ken Rogers. "And Israel
has a strong demand
for Michigan-made
products, services and
technologies. We want
to get the word out that
Southeast Michigan is
open for business and
investment"
Ken Rogers
In November, Gov.
Granholm led a five-day
Michigan overseas jobs and investment
mission to Israel and Jordan. The 15-
member delegation included Michigan
Economic Development Corp. President
James Epolito.
Robert Cohen, executive direc-
tor of the Bloomfield Township-based
Jewish Community Relations Council
of Metropolitan Detroit, reinforced how
Israel can be a great business partner
for Michigan. "The necessary research
capabilities, skilled workforce and entre-
preneurial spirit are already in place in
Michigan and Israel," Cohen said.
Chuck Newman,
president and cofounder
of Michigan Israel
Business Bridge, is
ecstatic about the
upcoming mission. "We
see great potential in
exposing the broader
Chuck Newman Michigan business
community to the
exciting opportunities available in Israel,"
Newman said. "Over the last two years,"
he added,"MIBB efforts in bringing
Michigan to Israel and Israel to Michigan
have resulted in increased partnerships
and trade between the two regions."
October mission-goers will meet with
product and service buyers as well as seek
joint-venture partnerships and technology
licensing agreements. Venture capital and
commercialization opportunities will be
explored. Israeli participants will include
governmental officials.
Susan Herman is
director of the Lansing-
based Michigan Jewish
Conference and sec-
retary and co-founder
of MIBB."Particularly
during these challeng-
ing economic times,"
1
she said,"we have found
Susan Herman
that business partner-
ship opportunities with Israel have broad
appeal across Michigan. We have seen
some significant interest from the busi-
ness community in West Michigan as well
as in the southeastern part of the state."
All Automation Alley trade missions
carry the U.S. Department of Commerce
Gold Key Service stamp. That means U.S.
companies can rest assured their potential
trade partners have been prescreened and
prequalified.
Automation Alley had a representative
on the Michigan Israel Business Bridge's
June life sciences business mission to
Israel. "His positive reaction is what we
believe the October mission participants
also will experience," said MIBB's Ron
Perry.
"Until people visit Israel," he continued,
"they do not realize how innovative and
entrepreneurial the country actually is,
and how strongly Israeli companies seek
U.S.-based partners to help commercialize
their products and technologies:
Cost of the October mission is S5,595
for Automation Alley members and 56,995
for non-members. The price includes air-
fare, hotel, ground transportation, match-
ingmaking meetings and other travel-
related expenses.
Automation Alley and the U.S.
Department of Commerce will assist par-
ticipants before, during and after the trip.
Past trade missions to Canada, South
America, Europe and Asia have generated
more than 200 jobs and 5135 million in
contracts for Automation Alley member
companies and Southeast Michigan.
"As businesspersons charged with
aggressively expanding our global cus-
tomer base, Automation Alley's trade mis-
sion was by far the best way to accomplish
this quickly, efficiently and cost effective-
ly': said Kevin Kerrigan, executive director
of global business development at Orion
Township-based Applied Manufacturing
Technologies Inc. and a 2008 Brazil trade
mission-goer.
The JCRC's Robert Cohen stressed that
teamwork is at the core of the projected
success of the October trade mission.
As he put it: "With the Michigan-Israel
Business Bridge, business groups such as
Automation Alley, local and state govern-
ments and the federal government all
working together, the potential for new
investment and trade and — most impor-
tant, new jobs —resulting from their
efforts is huge."
For more information on the trade
mission or to apply for it, contact
the Automation Alley Resource
Center:1 (800) 427-5100 or info@
automationalley.com . Up to 10
businesses are initially being sought
to participate.
This File Can Save Lives
T
he Tikkun Olam Committee of
Congregation Beth Ahm in West
Bloomfield will hold a public ser-
vice event at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 26, to
acquaint the community with File of Life.
Guest speaker is Kris Marrs, an emer-
gency medical technician with the West
Bloomfield Fire Department. There is no
charge. Light refreshments will be served.
File of Life is a packet that contains
emergency medical information used by
emergency medical support (EMS) staff
when responding to a 911 call. The packet
holds a mini-medical history of each
person who lives in the residence as well
personal information.
The history card is kept in a red plastic
pocket labeled File of Life, designed to
attach by magnet to the refrigerator or
other metal surface in the kitchen. A File
of Life label at the front door alerts the
EMS technicians to look for the packet.
File of Life is a valuable resource for
elderly or infirm individuals who live
alone as well as for spouses and caregivers
who might be too distracted during an
emergency to pull together all the infor-
mation that medical personnel should be
aware of.
All the information is filled out in pencil
so that it can be easily updated on a regu-
lar basis. Currently, local fire departments
in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township,
Farmington Hills, Southfield and West
Bloomfield all participate in File of Life.
Following Marrs' presentation, partici-
pants can till out File of Life forms with
assistance from by members of Beth
Ahm's Tikkun Olam Committee. Attendees
should bring medical information with
them to the program for this purpose.
For information, call Nancy Kalef,
(248) 333-2145, or e-mail nancvkalef@
comcast.net .
A15