(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad today announced he will lead a trade delegation, including four governors, to China in mid-April. This brief trip to China was at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and will include meetings with senior government officials, current and potential business partners, a U.S. - China Governors Forum and celebration events to recognize Iowa's 30^th anniversary of a sister state with the Chinese province of Hebei.

"Our state has a long and unique history with China's new President, Xi Jinping," said Gov. Branstad. "President Xi visited our state in 1985 and saw firsthand that Iowans are hardworking and sincere people who take pride in the work they do and the products they produce. He never forgot the people and the memories from his first trip to Iowa.  We hope to foster our unique relationship with President Xi and the people of China leading to stronger economic partnerships benefiting both the people of Iowa and the people of China."

The Governor and his delegation will spend four full days in China and visit the cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Baoding City and Shijiazhuang.

"International trade is extremely important to the people of Iowa as it supports tens of thousands of jobs right here in our state," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "China is an important trading partner with Iowa, importing $3.2 billion worth of goods last year. We want to foster our trading partnership with China to provide our safe and reliable products to feed their population of over 1.37 billion people."

The following governors will participate in the trade mission led by Gov. Branstad:

Gov. Eddie Calvo (Guam)

Gov. Bob McDonnell (Va.)

Gov. Scott Walker (Wis.)

The following organizations will be represented on the trade mission with Gov. Branstad:

Encourages Women Entrepreneurs to Use Available State Resources to Grow Their Businesses

CHICAGO - Coinciding with Women's History Month, Governor Pat Quinn today hosted Illinois' first Women Business Owners Symposium (WBOS) at the UIC Forum in Chicago. Today's event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to encourage entrepreneurship that will drive economic growth and create jobs in Illinois. More than 1,200 women registered for today's free, daylong symposium where state officials and business leaders discussed the many resources Illinois offers to help businesses grow and thrive.

"Women entrepreneurs are a large and growing part of Illinois' economy," Governor Quinn said. "We want to do everything we can to help them expand their businesses because when they do, they create jobs that strengthen families and communities throughout the state."

Three out of 10 firms in Illinois are owned by women, generating a total of $53.4 billion in sales, according to Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) based on U.S. Census data. The number of women-owned firms has grown to nearly 350,000?30 percent of which are minority-owned?up from 240,000 in the mid 1990s. Among U.S. counties, Cook County has the second most women-owned firms in the nation.

The daylong DCEO event?which was free and open for women looking to start or expand a business?included keynote speakers Ruth Ann Gillis, president, Exelon Business Services Co.,  and Judith A. Roussel, director, Illinois district of the U.S. Small Business Association. There was also an exhibit hall, one-on-one counseling and free on-site daycare.

Panel discussions at the event focused on capital funding and financial growth, technology and infrastructure, new markets (private and public) and state agencies and programs. Attendees also heard first-hand experiences of women who have built their own companies. Topics of discussion ranged from how to gain access to capital, how to get a foot in the door of large corporations, where to find free technology support, how to get certified for government contracts and how to use the U.S. Census Bureau web site for market research.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to help small businesses, we are reaching out to women-owned firms, helping them to find the access to capital and the technical assistance to thrive and expand," said DCEO Director Adam Pollet. "We want to do all we can to make sure businesses know about the many ways our state can help them prosper and grow."

The list of panelists included Wendy Lewis, senior vice president, diversity and strategic alliances, Major League Baseball; Pat Harris, global chief diversity officer, McDonald's Corp.; Marsha Serlin, CEO, United Scrap & Metal Co.; Katrina Markoff, CEO and founder, Vosges Haut-Chocolat; Joanne Tica-Steiger, director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses; Sona Wang, founder and managing director, Ceres Venture Fund LP; Maria A. Colangelo, vice president, Wintrust Bank; Poonam Gupta-Krishnan, CEO, Iyka Enterprises Inc.; Kristin Barrett, vice president, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center Project 1871 and Rita Haake, program manager, College of DuPage Center for Entrepreneurship.

Directors of four state agencies (DCEO, Transportation, Tollway and Veteran Affairs) and officials from three federal agencies (SBA, Census, and Commerce) discussed how to find business support and outline government projects that are fully funded and seeking contractors.

"Illinois is proud to be home to many innovative small businesses that are helping to create jobs and revitalize our economy," said Carol E. Bell, deputy director of Women's Business Development. "The participants in today's event exemplify the type of creative thinking that is prevalent in entrepreneurs across our state."

WBOS comes on the heels of a longstanding relationship between the state of Illinois and the Women's Business Development Center, a small business development center that has worked with the state for nearly three decades, leading the effort to help further women owned business in Illinois.

For more on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit illinoisbiz.biz.

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Strategic State Investment Will Create 35 New Jobs at Cortina Tool & Molding

FRANKLIN PARK - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that 35 new jobs will be created at Cortina Tool and Molding Company thanks to a state initiative that will give the company access to capital to grow and expand. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda of creating jobs and driving Illinois' economy forward.

"Illinois is proud to be home to many strong businesses like Cortina who are helping revitalize our state's manufacturing sector," Governor Quinn said. "This investment is a win for Cortina, a win for Franklin Park and a win for Illinois' economy. We want to do all we can to make sure businesses know about the many ways our state can help them prosper and grow."

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is providing Cortina with access to capital through the Advantage Illinois Participation Loan Program (PLP), a federally-funded program that allows small businesses to obtain medium- to long-term financing to expand their businesses.

Cortina is receiving a loan to put toward the acquisition of Kimberly Clark's Workzone Products. DCEO is providing half the capital and American Charter Bank is providing the other half. Cortina will acquire that company's manufacturing equipment and inventory, located in Michigan and Canada, and relocate it to its Franklin Park facility. The move is expected to create 35 jobs over two years.

The acquisition will help Cortina expand its offerings as a specialized plastic injection molder. The company, founded in 1969 in Chicago, makes products such as warning barricades, traffic cones, work lights and reflectors that strengthen the safety of drivers, road construction workers and pedestrians throughout the country, as well as other consumer and industrial products materials like vehicular lenses and housings, promotional and marketing products and display stands.

"The state of Illinois is a committed partner in the advancement of small business," DCEO Director Adam Pollet said. "Approximately three out of every four workers in Illinois is employed by a small business. By helping them gain access to capital to expand, we help our state prosper and create more jobs."

At today's event, Governor Quinn also recognized San Francisco-based Digital Realty Trust for recently investing $28 million in a new data center in Franklin Park. The company's 575,000-square-foot office and industrial complex will help serve its growing client base of businesses needing data storage and cloud computing services. The company has created 50 new jobs this year and additional improvements to the site will create up to 100 new jobs. It chose Franklin Park due to its proximity to transportation like O'Hare and access to fiber-optic cables.

At Governor Quinn's direction, the state of Illinois has identified, recruited and supported companies with the potential to bring jobs and economic growth to Illinois. For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit www.illinoisbiz.biz.

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"I'm encouraged by the positive steps recently taken by the Illinois General Assembly toward comprehensive pension reform.

"In the past few weeks, the Illinois House has passed three pension reform bills, culminating with today's major cost-saving measure, which reforms the Cost of Living Adjustment factor.

"In addition, yesterday's votes in the Illinois Senate indicate that there is support for pension reform.

"There's much more work to do, but I'm pleased to see progress being made.

"I will continue working with the leaders and members of both houses and both parties to get comprehensive pension reform legislation on my desk so that I can sign it into law."

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