the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) which had been working in China since September 13. At 5:30 am it was an early morning subway ride from our hotel in Stockholm to the Central Terminal where I caught the high-speed express train to the Stockholm Airport known as the Arlanda Express. It was fast! I'm told it reaches speeds in excess of 240 km/hr. That's the type of train this country needs connecting our cities and our airports. We need to push that level of service to our State and Federal governments especially during next year's Surface Transportation Act negotiations at the Federal level.My first flight that day was from Sweden was to Zurich, Switzerland where a very short layover kept a group of us having to move quickly through another round of security to the opposite end of the airport to catch our connection to Shanghai. Everything went fine in the air except it was a very long day by the time I arrived in Shanghai on Thursday at 6:30 am. With the different time zones in Rockford, Stockholm, and Shanghai I really wasn't sure what day it was when I got on the ground and I was very happy to be greeted by some familiar faces at the airport!
Eric Voyles and Carrie Zethmayr did a lot of ground work for the China trip before leaving the U.S. Working with contacts in China,
we had several meetings established and goals set for the trip. Our first meeting was in Shanghai with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Zach Zhao is the DCEO full-time staffer in Shanghai. Zach helps Illinois companies and cities doing business in China. We met at the office they share with the US Commerce Department. Zach arranged for two Chinese businesses to meet with us and we we able to present an overview of our China focus areas, which included detailed discussion about our airport and other logistic advantages of locating in Rockford.
Eric Voyles and Carrie Zethmayr did a lot of ground work for the China trip before leaving the U.S. Working with contacts in China,
we had several meetings established and goals set for the trip. Our first meeting was in Shanghai with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Zach Zhao is the DCEO full-time staffer in Shanghai. Zach helps Illinois companies and cities doing business in China. We met at the office they share with the US Commerce Department. Zach arranged for two Chinese businesses to meet with us and we we able to present an overview of our China focus areas, which included detailed discussion about our airport and other logistic advantages of locating in Rockford. We left Shanghai that same day to head to our Sister City, Changzhou, which is in 
the Jiangsu province. We took a high speed train (like we did in Sweden) to get from Shanghai to Changzhou. The train station in Beijing was packed! Rail is a very popular way to travel in China. Our visit to Changzhou was coordinated in conjunction with their annual Conference of Science and Technology Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. I made my first trip to Changzhou in 2006 to attend the same conference. In 2006, the conference was held outside at their "University Town" where we toured their incredible technical college training center, which combines three years of focused technical training equivalent to a senior year in high school and an associates degree. (This is an idea worthy of serious consideration in our country.)
the Jiangsu province. We took a high speed train (like we did in Sweden) to get from Shanghai to Changzhou. The train station in Beijing was packed! Rail is a very popular way to travel in China. Our visit to Changzhou was coordinated in conjunction with their annual Conference of Science and Technology Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. I made my first trip to Changzhou in 2006 to attend the same conference. In 2006, the conference was held outside at their "University Town" where we toured their incredible technical college training center, which combines three years of focused technical training equivalent to a senior year in high school and an associates degree. (This is an idea worthy of serious consideration in our country.)
This year they held the conference at their bran
d new Conference and Exhibition Center which was just completed the week of the conference and sits across their new"mini bird's nest" reminiscent of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.
d new Conference and Exhibition Center which was just completed the week of the conference and sits across their new"mini bird's nest" reminiscent of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.
The conference was also held in conjunction with a solar power exhibition which demonstrated just how seriously the Chinese are attacking the solar power market. (I'll have more on that later when we discuss our meetings with Wanxiang with whom we signed our joint venture agreement a few weeks back in Rockford.)
Changzhou is a city of about 3.5 million people, which is
not very large by China standards but is quite large by U.S. standards. (See changzhou.jiangsu.net for more information.) Our delegation had dinner our first evening in Changzhou with the Mayor of Changzhou and some of his senior staff. I also had the privilege to join a very distinguished group of speakers the next day during the kick off of the conference. Over 3,000 people attended the opening ceremonies. (Our friends from the RAEDC taped the speech and I will later try to post a link of the speech). We were also treated to an incredible tour lead by the Mayor of Changzhou showing us the Changzhou Planning Center and their History and Culture Museum.The Changzhou Planning Center and Museum were incredible places. The photos I have attached show 
some of the purpose of the Planning Center, which includes a massive scale model of their entire plan for the City of Changzhou.
some of the purpose of the Planning Center, which includes a massive scale model of their entire plan for the City of Changzhou.I started the push in 2007 in my State of the City Address for our community to build something like this. We need a "Regional Center for Planning and Design" to compete with communities
around the world and provide a place for ongoing input and interaction. In Changzhou, they don't take it for granted that they will become great, they plan on it! They also invite their public to visit the planning center and provide input on their plans. In Rockford, we simply don't have a place to show our own citizens, let alone outside visitors and investors, what we are planning for our future. Our Metropolitan Planning Organization ("MPO") known as RATS was audited in the Fall of 2007 by the Federal Highway Administration and the Feds agreed that our region was not up to par as far as public input, planning, and presentation. The good news is that the audit gave rise to major changes to our organization's vision and mission and work plan. We've changed the name too and we are now known as the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning or "RMAP". Now we need a new home for the RMAP offices where our professional planners can join with our citizens to plan and present our visions for the future. I'm sure that issue will be the subject of future work and discussion.
around the world and provide a place for ongoing input and interaction. In Changzhou, they don't take it for granted that they will become great, they plan on it! They also invite their public to visit the planning center and provide input on their plans. In Rockford, we simply don't have a place to show our own citizens, let alone outside visitors and investors, what we are planning for our future. Our Metropolitan Planning Organization ("MPO") known as RATS was audited in the Fall of 2007 by the Federal Highway Administration and the Feds agreed that our region was not up to par as far as public input, planning, and presentation. The good news is that the audit gave rise to major changes to our organization's vision and mission and work plan. We've changed the name too and we are now known as the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning or "RMAP". Now we need a new home for the RMAP offices where our professional planners can join with our citizens to plan and present our visions for the future. I'm sure that issue will be the subject of future work and discussion.
During our stay in Changzhou, we also toured the Rockford Industrial Park founded by 
Bergstrom Industries. I was in Changzhou in 2006 with local officials when Bergstrom opened their new Rockford Industrial Park site. Since then, they have experienced rapid growth. They have doubled in size in Changzhou from approximately 300 to 600 employees in two years. Most of their product either is sold to the Chinese market or is processed in part in Changzhou and then returned to the U.S. for further work and distribution. Rockford-based Bergstrom is doing a great job of partnering with Changzhou to create positive results for both Cities. The bottom line for Bergstrom is that their efforts have helped them to create and retain jobs and wealth despite current slow downs in the economy.
Bergstrom Industries. I was in Changzhou in 2006 with local officials when Bergstrom opened their new Rockford Industrial Park site. Since then, they have experienced rapid growth. They have doubled in size in Changzhou from approximately 300 to 600 employees in two years. Most of their product either is sold to the Chinese market or is processed in part in Changzhou and then returned to the U.S. for further work and distribution. Rockford-based Bergstrom is doing a great job of partnering with Changzhou to create positive results for both Cities. The bottom line for Bergstrom is that their efforts have helped them to create and retain jobs and wealth despite current slow downs in the economy.
The highlight of our Changzhou visit was the Seminar we gave to local Changzhou businesses encouraging them to invest in Rockford. I gave another speech along with the vice-mayor of Changzhou during this seminar. Dr. William Guo, who lives with his family in Rockford, but was born and educated in China, is the General Manger for Bergstrom China and splits his time between the two countries. William gave a great talk to the participants about doing business in the United States. 
Eric Voyles presented detailed information about Rockford and Carrie Zethmayr, who studied in China for a year during her time as a student at Beloit College, translated and discussed how the RAEDC can provide business services to Chinese companies considering moving to Rockford. We were also joined at the forum by representatives from Rockford area company, Aqua-Aerobics, which manufactures and sells sewage treatment plant solutions. We had many questions and great interest from the business that attended. It was a great event which was made possible due to the great help we received from the Changzhou Foreign Affairs Office and Foreign Trade Office with additional support from the Changzhou Chamber of Commerce.
Eric Voyles presented detailed information about Rockford and Carrie Zethmayr, who studied in China for a year during her time as a student at Beloit College, translated and discussed how the RAEDC can provide business services to Chinese companies considering moving to Rockford. We were also joined at the forum by representatives from Rockford area company, Aqua-Aerobics, which manufactures and sells sewage treatment plant solutions. We had many questions and great interest from the business that attended. It was a great event which was made possible due to the great help we received from the Changzhou Foreign Affairs Office and Foreign Trade Office with additional support from the Changzhou Chamber of Commerce. The massive develop
ment happening in China is very evident, but it doesn't happen without a cost. The smog and pollution problems in the large and rapidly growing industrial areas of China are well known. Special short-term efforts were made during the Olympics to reduce both pollution and traffic congestion in Beijing. But smog is strong and especially fierce during the high humidity days we have experienced. After coming from Sweden, an extremely "green" focused country with a total population of 9 million, to China where many cities each have over 9 million in population, there couldn't be a stronger contrast. But in fact it's the very issue of energy and the environment that ties together our delegation visits to Sweden and China. Sweden has for many year been leading innovation in "clean and green" technology. We have great opportunities for partnerships there. Likewise, there is a huge need to solve industrial and urban residential energy and environmental concerns in China. That's why a Rockford company like Aqua-Aerobics has had great growth and opportunity in China. In my next entry, I'll provide updates on our meetings with the Chinese Aviation Administration and describe meetings we have had as we attempt to open opportunities for additional growth at our airport and Global Trade Park.
