FFA-USA Offers Membership Opportunities to Louisiana Companies

Representatives of the FFA-USA visited Louisiana from August 10 through August 15,1999 to promote doing business in the French-speaking countries of the world. They met businesses and economic development professionals to discuss the trade opportunities open to U.S. businesses through membership in the FFA-USA.

Sévérin Béliveau, Esq., President of the FFA has stated: «The FFA is offering exceptional opportunities to American companies. Through our contacts in Canada, France, Belgium, Senegal and Vietnam, we bring the French-speaking world to U.S. companies.»

The FFA-USA, is the U.S. National Chapter of the worldwide network Forum Francophone des Affaires, promoting business between French-speaking countries. The U.S. Chapter is a membership business organization operating from Lewiston, Maine, since soon after its establishment in 1997. We are finding that the use of our French resource as a business tool is a very effective entry into markets in French-speaking countries.

The FFA-USA was represented in Louisiana by Paul Dubé, Treasurer, Elizabeth Dodge, Executive Director, and Dwight Lanning. Also accompanying the FFA delegation was Marie-Thérèse Bonfigli, Managing Director of European Efficiency, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Paul Dubé is President of Dubé Carlson Wagonlit Travel of Maine, a full service retail and corporate travel agency.  The company provides all travel planning for FFA-USA business missions. Dwight Lanning is Vice President of Blue Enterprises of Benton, Maine. The company specializes in putting together business partnerships in many areas including agricultural and food products.  Blue Enterprises is now working with the FFA to identify U.S. distributors for products from France, Belgium and Canada likely to find a market in the U.S.

European Efficiency in France represents economic development sectors for the German State of Lower Saxony and the City of Hanover. EE also works with private companies from Germany, France, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. Contacts made through Futurallia98 in Poitiers, France have resulted in European Efficiency's expanding to the U.S. and partnership with the FFA-USA in several projects.

In Baton Rouge, the FFA -USA group had meeting with Mr. Larry Collins, International Trade Director, and Frank Mulhern, International Marketing for the State’s Department of Economic Development to discuss business development opportunities for small and medium sized Louisiana companies. The group was travelled to Lafayette to attend the Acadian Business conference in Lafayette on Thursday, August 12 and talk to the participants about current FFA projects they may wish to take part in.  They also had meeting with Mr. David Cheramie, Executive Director of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana.

«We hope to identify Louisiana companies from the sectors targeted for the Métiers d’Art trip to encourage them to join the delegation to France in September,» Elizabeth Dodge has said.

 

VISIT IN FRANCE: SEPTEMBER 25
FFA-USA Invites Paris Specialty Buyers  to View U.S. Luxury Products

During the week of September 25, company representatives will travel to Paris and to Nancy, in the Lorraine, in France to meet buyers from major French department stores and visit the workshops of some of the premier glass, furniture and Jacquard fabric producers. The mission is designed for the benefit of producers of top-quality furniture and tabletop products such as glassware, porcelain, silver and table linens.

«We are very grateful to Philippe Gustin and his staff at the Centre International de Lafayette for their work in planning our trip to Louisiana and for giving the FFA-USA the opportunity to speak to the Conference.

The FFA-USA, through its contacts in France is offering direct introductions to Paris store buyers for high quality home and table products likely to interest French consumers.  The size of the group must be limited, therefore if you find this offer attractive, you should contact the FFA immediately.

In Nancy, we have been invited to the «Ville et Métiers d’Art» conference of cities and their artists and artisans as part of the celebrations of the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the École de Nancy, the home of Art Nouveau.  The workshops of  internationally known producers will be open for visits. Lesser known and exceptionally qualified artists will also open their workshops to us. We will meet companies eager to sell their products into the U.S. market and interested in partnership agreements or in sharing product design and manufacturing knowledge. As the home of Art Nouveau and continuing to this day, Nancy is also home to world renowned manufacturers in the area including Daum, Baccarat and Jacquard de France. There are many other manufacturers not as well known, but producing beautiful work and exceptionally placed for the U.S. market. Several websites you may find interesting are www.ecole-de-nancy.com and www.idverre.net

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Contact  Elizabeth Dodge, through the webpage: www.ffa-usa.org at (207) 782-2445, or,  e-mail: execdirector@ffa-usa.org

Additional contacts:
Mr. Sévérin M. Béliveau, Esq., President of the FFA-USA, Preti, Flaherty, Béliveau, Pachios & Haley LLC.
Tel: 207 623 5300     Fax: 207 623 2914

Mr. Paul Dubé, Treasurer of the FFA-USA, and President of Dubé Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Tel: 207 784 2916    Fax 207 783 4440  

Mr. Philippe Gustin, Director, Centre International of Lafayette, Louisiana, Consolidated Governmen
Tel: 318-291-5474    Fax: 318-291-5480