News and Press Releases for September 2007

GOVERNOR TO LEAD GROUP OF BUSINESS LEADERS, LEGISLATORS TO WORLD FORUM IN DALIAN, CHINA

September 4, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – Gov. Mark Sanford will today lead a delegation of South Carolina business leaders and legislators to Dalian, China for the World Economic Forum’s inaugural “New Champions” meeting.

The Dalian conference presents a unique opportunity for the state, given that Gov. Sanford was the only U.S. governor invited to attend. The governor will be joined by a state delegation consisting of Marty Brown, President of Colite International; Mike Johnson, President of Cox Industries; Forester Adams, President of Joseph Walker & Co; Derick Close, President and CEO of Creative Products Group for Springs Industries; Guerry Green, President Screen Tight; and O.L. Thompson, President of O.L. Thompson Construction and Chairman of Santee Cooper. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, Rep. Nikki Haley, and Sen. Greg Ryberg are also part of the delegation as representatives of the S.C. General Assembly.

“I think attending this conference is a real compliment to some of the people who’ve worked hard on behalf of economic development over the years in this state,” Gov. Sanford said. “In the global competition for jobs and investment, South Carolina – like these private sector companies – has both some real challenges and opportunities in what lies ahead in today’s world. We believe this trip will result in some real dividends for our state down the road, both as we learn more about how to compete in this new world and in building relationships with global business leaders.”

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization, best known for its Davos meeting, which is held each March in Davos, Switzerland. The attendees are the CEO's of the world's top 1200 companies. With this meeting, the WEF for the first time is engaging the next tier of businesses – the New Champions/Global Growth Companies – that have demonstrated a clear potential to become leaders in the global economy. There will be 1,500 attendees from 80 countries, representing business, academia and world leaders. The typical company represented has revenues between $100 million and $5 billion.

For more information about the World Economic Forum and the Dalian Conference, log on to http://www.weforum.org.