By Chris Kirkham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; D04
Prince George's County officials plan to open offices in China and India this year as part of an effort to attract global customers to businesses based in the county.
Details have yet to be worked out, but economic development officials said the offices probably will be in Shanghai and in Bangalore, India. County officials will work with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, which already has offices in China and India, and may use the state's existing offices there, said Kwasi G. Holman, chief executive of the Prince George's County Economic Development Corp.
"The ultimate aim of all this is to create wealth in the county by allowing county firms to have a global marketplace, as opposed to just a local or regional one," Holman said. "That'll generate wealth in the county, as well as employment opportunity."
The county would be the first in Maryland to have an office in China or India, according to state economic development officials. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has an office in India.
County officials, who made the announcement yesterday, have not decided whether they would hire full-time employees in China and India or employ a firm that would lobby for Prince George's businesses.
Holman said that the biggest potential for global trade is with biotechnology and high-tech equipment manufacturers but that all kinds of companies could benefit from the county's Asian presence.
Also yesterday, the Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable released a report listing goals for the county to achieve by 2020. It included general goals such as reforming the public school system and reducing crime and specifics such as attracting five Fortune 500 companies.
"It's easy to say we need to cut crime and say education needs to improve or we need to have better roads," said Atul Dighe, who wrote the report. "This effort starts to lay some things out so people can have a constructive dialogue and then make the decisions and take the action that needs to be taken."