Governor to Meet With Top Japanese Companies Seeking Illinois Investment and Expansion

CHICAGO - Governor Quinn will depart later today to Japan to attend the 45th Annual Midwest US-Japan Association (MWJA) Conference and focus on bringing more foreign direct investment to Illinois. While there, the Governor will meet with the CEOs of major Japanese companies interested in expansion and new investments in the state. Japan is the second largest source of foreign direct investment in Illinois and the source of more than 50,000 jobs in Illinois. The Governor's trip is part of his agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"I look forward to this annual event that takes place with our strong partners in Japan and other Midwestern leaders," Governor Quinn said. "Japan has deep roots in Illinois and is one of the largest export markets for Illinois products. This trip will allow us to capitalize on available economic opportunities for Illinois and Japan."

Japan plays an important role in the Illinois economy, employing more Illinois workers than any other foreign country except the United Kingdom. Illinois is home to 410 Japanese-owned companies, employing 53,725 Illinois workers. Illinois exported $2.1 billion in products to Japan in 2012. That makes Japan the seventh largest export market for Illinois products. Exports to Japan from Illinois have grown 17.9 percent since 2009.

During his trip, Governor Quinn will meet with top leaders from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nippon Sharyo Co., Ltd., Neo Morgan Laboratory and TACMINA Corp. The Governor will also meet with Japanese officials in an effort to boost investments in Illinois businesses.

At the conference, the Governor is scheduled to speak about opportunities to invest in Illinois. The annual conference brings together governors and business leaders from across the Midwest to discuss economic progress and investment between Midwestern states and Japan. This year, Governor Quinn will be joined by fellow governors from Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Governor Quinn's past trips to Asia have led to major economic investment in Illinois. For example, Governor Quinn personally recruited Nippon Sharyo to Illinois and the company has been expanding rapidly since opening its passenger rail car factory in Rochelle last year. Another Japanese company, Astellas - a pharmaceutical firm - built a new corporate headquarters for the Americas in Glenview last year, creating 150 new jobs. The investment came after the Governor met with the corporation's leadership while on a trade mission to China and Japan in 2011.

Following Governor Quinn's 2011 visit to Japan for the MWJA Conference, the Governor announced that Japanese manufacturer Sakae Riken Kogyo Co. was investing $35 million to expand its Peru facility and create 25 new Illinois jobs. The investment was one of several business and economic partnerships the Governor had announced during his 2011 trade mission throughout Asia.

Governor Quinn's attendance at the MWJA is the latest by Governor Quinn as he seeks to promote Illinois to a global audience. Past international visits and trade missions include Mexico in April of 2013, China and Japan in 2011, and Canada and Brazil in 2012. Recently, Governor Quinn announced the opening of new international business in Illinois, including Rittal Corp. of Germany and Grundfos of Denmark.

The state of Illinois opened its Tokyo office in 1987 and has had representation in Japan since 1983. Many Illinois cities have established sister city relationships with Japanese cities and Governor Quinn will sign a new sister river agreement to promote further economic development and tourism during his visit.

The Midwest US-Japan Association Conference is an annual event where business leaders from the Midwest region of the United States and Japan have met on an annual basis to discuss the growth and progress of economic relations of the American Midwest and Japan. The event is attended by Midwestern governors including those of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. The meeting host country alternates years between Japan and the Midwest. The first MWJA meeting took place in Illinois in 1967 when a delegation from the Japan Committee for Economic Development was welcomed by representatives of the Chicago Association of Commerce & Industry.

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Taxes account for the most expensive burden you'll experience in your lifetime, says engineer-turned-independent financial planning coach Rao K. Garuda.

In addition to federal, state, city and death taxes, there are 59 other varieties. Relatively few taxes, however, account for the bulk of the burden on citizens, says Garuda, whose clients include retirees, people planning for retirement, physicians, business owners and other professionals.

He thinks his fellow Americans deserve a shot at keeping more of their money.

"When I came to the United States, I had less than $10 in my pocket, but I had an excellent education as an engineer. When I married a physician, I realized how expensive it is to make a good living here," says Garuda, (www.aca-incorp.com), who quickly applied his analytical engineering mind to understanding the complicated tax system.

"Since this country has given me so much, I wanted to repay my fellow Americans with strategies for keeping more of their own money."

Garuda identifies some of the most expensive and common tax hurdles affecting Americans and offers advice on troubleshooting our tax system.

• Problem: The IRA tax: great on the front end, terrible down the road.
Solution: An IRA is tax-deferred, which means it will accumulate value over time. But when you withdraw from it, you will be heavily penalized with high taxes. That's why you should convert this asset to a Roth IRA, which allows your money to grow tax-free. Since the money put in was already taxed you don't have to pay any taxes when you take it out, and, overall, you'll save a significant amount of money.

• Problem: Too many people don't take advantage of creating tax-free income via insurance products.
Solution: From a financial perspective, retirees and professional planners run into a significant issue: seniors, blessed with good health, who outlive their money. But with certain insurance products, retirees can create tax-free income while covering the later years of retirement - and protect their wealth if they become severely ill. There are certain insurance products tied to the stock market that can help people accumulate assets in the long run. Many of these products offer a tremendous upside for potential without the downside of increased risk.

• Problem: Missed opportunities - people who don't take advantage of free money in a 401k.
Solution: Perhaps the company you work for is, like many others, bureaucratic to the point of being impractical. Your employer may not have done the best job communicating details about benefits such as matching 401k contributions, or you may not have taken the time to learn them. Now's the time; this is free money! If your employer is offering a 50 percent match on your first 6 percent of contributions to the 401k, you should be contributing at least 6 percent. Educate yourself on your company's plan so you can take full advantage.

About Rao K. Garuda

Rao K. Garuda, CLU, ChFC, is president and CEO of Associated Concepts Agency, Inc. - "The Missing Piece" of financial planning -- founded in 1978, and a popular speaker at seminars and conferences for financial industry professionals. He came to the United States from India 35 years ago with a degree in engineering and, after marrying a physician, realized he had to learn how to reduce the couple's taxes. Disappointed in the financial advice he received from professionals, he went to business school and developed expertise in tax reduction, and protecting money from stock market losses. Rao is a founding member of First Financial Resources, a national organization with over 75 partners in the USA; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), and a life member of MDRT's Top of the Table for 21 consecutive years.

Although we live in the richest and most advanced society the world has ever known, many of us say we need more money in order to be happy, notes best-selling business book author Doug Vermeeren.

"Even some of those in the top percentile of earners often feel like they don't have enough money," says Vermeeren, (www.DouglasVermeeren.com), an international speaker who consults with celebrities, business executives and professional athletes.

"The math is simple: More money does not equal more happiness. It's our attitude toward money, not the amount, that influences our happiness the most."

Happiness researchers Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, professors at the Harvard Business School, recently published research indicating that it's not money that makes people happy, nor the things people buy with it. Rather, it's the experiences one has that ultimately account for happiness.

"How you experience your money on a day-to-day basis is what matters," Vermeeren says. "If the software running in your brain is constantly reinforcing the message, 'it's not enough,' then that is likely how you will see yourself and experience your life - as 'not enough.' "

Vermeeren reviews the three fallacies of abundance as it relates to happiness:

• We are all entitled to a certain amount of wealth: The feeling that we deserve or are owed a certain amount of wealth will always make us unhappy with whatever we have. While we are entitled to certain human rights, those do not include a winning lottery ticket. In reality, we are not owed any amount of abundance and, in fact, should count ourselves lucky if we're able to meet our basic needs; many in the world are not. More of us, however, would be happier simply appreciating what we have.

• The result of our labors is money: Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. This can be a challenge to keep in mind since so much of our lives are spent in the pursuit of money. We work and go to school to support ourselves and our families. We see things we want, and we know we need more money for them. Study after study shows, however, that what really makes us happy is what we do and who we do it with, and not how much money we spend.

• We'll be happiest when we finally reach our goal: We are happiest when we are progressing toward a goal. When we lose sight of our goal, veer off the path toward our goal, and even achieve our goal, we're less happy. Rather than setting one goal and deciding you will be happy when you meet it, you'll be most happy if you continually set goals and relish your journey toward them.

About Doug Vermeeren

Doug Vermeeren is an internationally renowned public speaker, author, movie producer and director. His life coaching strategies help those from all walks of life, with clients including business executives, celebrities, professional athletes and more. Throughout the last decade, Vermeeren has conducted extensive first hand research into the lives of more than 400 of the world's top contemporary achievers, making him a sought-after commentator on news outlets including ABC, FOX, CNN and more. He has written three titles contributing to Guerilla Marketing, the best-selling business series in publishing, which is included reading in the Harvard Business School. His documentaries include the award-winning film, The Opus, which has been published by Random House as a book in 23 countries. Vermeeren's latest film, The Gratitude Experiment , has received critical acclaim.

Assistant General Manager of Special Events and Finance Manager introduced at press conference

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AUG. 31, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits introduced two new members of their front office leadership team Saturday, as team co-owner Dave Heller introduced new Assistant General Manager of Special Events Bridget Otten and new Finance Manager Dustin Miller at an afternoon press conference.

"The River Bandits make outstanding customer service our top priority, and Bridget Otten and Dustin Miller are exactly the type of people who bring that to the Quad Cities community," said team co-owner Dave Heller. "We are excited to have them as part of an outstanding front office leadership team."

Otten, a native of Rock Island, Ill., brings 10 years of experience in event management, weddings, fundraising and sales. Most recently, she has been the Catering Manager at the Radisson Quad City Plaza in Davenport the past three years. As the Assistant General Manager of Special Events, Otten will oversee all special events at Modern Woodmen Park, working with clients, vendors and community partners on the weddings, parties, reunions, business meetings, seminars and many other events year-round at the ballpark.

"I am extremely grateful to Dave Heller, Stefanie Brown and the entire River Bandits organization for allowing me the opportunity to join what promises to be such a great team!" Otten said. "I look forward to showcasing the phenomenal attributes of special events at what has proven to be the Best Minor League Ballpark in America."

Miller, a native of Elkhart, Ind., and graduate of St. Ambrose University, has worked 16 years in finance and accounting, most recently with Martin Engineering in Neponset, Ill. As the Finance Manager, Miller will manage all financial aspects of the River Bandits and Main Street Baseball.

"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work for a professional sports organization like the Quad Cities River Bandits, who are an important part of the Quad Cities community and provide fans with a fun and affordable entertainment option," Miller said. "I am looking forward to joining the team and being part of the continued success and growth of the franchise."

Both Otten and Miller will begin their work in the River Bandits front office on Tuesday, Sept. 3.