Rick Rousos
THE LEDGER
WINTER HAVEN | The allure in America of the Moroccan city of Casablanca was boosted big time by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 classic movie “Casablanca.”
The Winter Haven Economic Development Council is now working to get an economic boost from Morocco.
WHEDC members are planning a trip to Morocco in early May with the goal of establishing trade partnerships. The trip will be in conjunction with Florida’s trade facilitator, Enterprise Florida.
“Our relationship is growing,” said Bruce Lyon, executive director of WHEDC. “The point of this trip is to build relationships that will lead to trade opportunities.”
Lyon said having the CSX Intermodal Logistics Center up and running makes Winter Haven more attractive to any potential trade partner.
Morocco is in northwestern Africa just south of Spain across the Straits of Gibralter. It’s an Arabic-speaking country, but French and English are spoken also.
It’s a friend-of-a-friend thing that has WHEDC hoping for trade connections.
Lyon said a friend, who has dual American and Moroccan citizenship, has a friend who works on the economic council of the King of Morocco. He said the Moroccan official has visited Winter Haven twice.
Lyon said the WHEDC was planning a trip of its own to Morocco, but then found out Enterprise Florida was planning a trip. So WHEDC will accompany Enterprise Florida.
Bryant Salter works for Enterprise Florida, a public-private state organization that promotes Florida trade and trade expansion. Salter’s territory is Africa.
He calls Africa “an untapped market” emerging to modernization.
“We have the systems and the staff to set things up” on foreign trade missions, Salter said. “When someone has deeper contacts, they take the lead. The Winter Haven Economic Development Council will be integrally involved.”
Business people interested in trading with Morocco are welcome on the trip, Lyon said. Salter said people making the trip must pay all of their expenses, including for flights, lodging and meals.
Lyon asks anyone interested to call 863-837-5280.
[ Rick Rousos can be reached at rick.rousos@theledger.com or 863-802-7509. ]
