ACSI was pleased to host its fourth annual gala at the The Conrad on August 27th. Over 250 guests were in attendance representing ACSI member organizations, regional supporters, special guests and volunteers. Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann delivered the keynote speech and spoke to the growing Indiana – China relationship. Mr. Charlie Cai, CEO of Westfield Outdoors and a board member at ACSI, received an award for his individual work in the Chinese community in Indiana, Dow Agrosciences received an award for their corporate work in China and ACSI’s new board members were introduced. The Lilly Chinese Cultural Network provided traditional Chinese dance as entertainment for the evening.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, performers and volunteers! Your support made this event possible.

Haier America has officially opened its doors in Evansville. The city says the Technology and Design Center of Excellence will create 50 jobs and have a $10 million annual economic impact.

Governor Mike Pence, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and leadership from Haier Group, the multinational manufacturer of home appliances and consumer electronics, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning.

“With the wealth of talent in the area and the way in which the local and regional communities have embraced us, Evansville is the perfect location to launch this Haier facility in the United States. The opening of the Haier Center aligns with our strategy to design and manufacture consumer-centric, whole-home platform solutions that fit the lives and anticipate the needs of American consumers. Haier is closer and more committed to the U.S. market than ever before,” President and CEO of Haier America Adrian Micu said.

“Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony for Haier America’s new Research and Development Tech Center signifies the launch of a new manufacturing era for our community with the reemergence of the appliance industry in Evansville. This city has a strong history of producing refrigerators, air conditioners and other larger appliances, and we are proud to partner with the world’s No. 1 leader in major appliance brands. Haier has already exceeded its initial hiring commitment, and I am confident this is only the beginning of the company’s presence in our community for decades to come,” Mayor Lloyd Winnecke said.

The 30,000-square-foot facility is located in the former Coca-Cola bottling plant and distribution center in Evansville. Haier America says it plans to invest more than $2.8 million to renovate the facility. It will have engineering offices, laboratories, a showroom and a model shop. The center will develop appliances for the North American market.

“When I met with Haier executives in China this spring, I was invigorated by the company’s plans to accelerate technology development in Indiana. In addition to our strong workforce and pro-growth business climate, Indiana has quickly become a center for innovation, making the Hoosier State the natural choice for this facility as Haier continues to increase its presence in the United States,” Governor Mike Pence said.

Days 2 and 3 of Lt. Governor Ellspermann’s agriculture trade mission have been spent in the Sichuan Province located in southwestern China. This inland province has some of China’s most productive agricultural land and very diverse agriculture, as well as major industrial development in its capital city of Chengdu, a city with a population of over 15 million people.

On the first day they met with Consul General Raymond Greene and staff from the American Consulate General’s office of Chengdu, which was established in 1985 and one of the first foreign consul offices in southwestern China. This Indiana delegation is the first agricultural governmental trade mission to visit this region of China.

In the afternoon, the delegation met with three furniture companies located throughout the Sichuan Province who connected with Keith Cole, representing Cole Hardwood of Logansport, Indiana and the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen Association. Both parties walked away from the meeting with next steps in place to establish an international business relationship.

They were hosted for an evening dinner by officials from Sichuan Provincial Foreign Affairs where Lt. Governor Ellspermann and the delegation members were able to share opportunities in Indiana’s production, animal health, agribusiness and technology sectors as well as learn about the local agricultural offerings. Considered the pork capital of China, Sichuan Province’s agricultural commodities also includes lemons, pomegranates, tea and numerous other products.

On the second day, the Lt. Governor and Ted McKinney, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) led the team through an agricultural exchange meeting with the Director General and a multitude of department heads of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture. During the meeting, Beth Bechdol of Ice Miller, LLC, the Agribusiness Council of Indiana and AgriNovus Indiana was able to share highlights and innovations of the agribusiness sector in the Hoosier state. Clyde Shaffer of Shaffer Genetics, Inc., in Randolph County gave a short presentation on the work his company is conducting with Chinese businesses in the field of swine breeding to maximize growth rate, meat quality, durability and leanness.

Following the productive meeting, which has led to business card exchanges and follow up meetings scheduled, Lt. Governor Ellspermann and Director General Ren signed a memorandum of understanding, formalizing the newly established friendship between the State of Indiana and Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture to explore mutually beneficial exchange opportunities.

They then traveled to Ya’an, where the first panda in the world was discovered in 1862 and home to Sichuan Agricultural University where the group learned more about the 109 year old institution. The group once again received a warm welcome and presentations from various deans regarding their departments and current research projects, including one with Purdue University and Maple Leaf Farms. Jane Ade Stevens of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council shared highlights of current initiatives in the corn and soybean industries bringing together the industry and farmers alike to fund innovative uses for the crops.

The evening was capped off with the Indiana delegation attending a 4th of July celebration at the Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu hosted by the American Consulate. The group was honored to be amongst the nearly 500 attendees to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the US – China cooperation during World War II when over 60,000 American servicemen were stationed in the Southwestern region of China as a gateway into the fighting. This included the very famous “Flying Tigers,” American volunteer airmen who flew P-40 aircraft in defense of China.

Reflecting on the trip thus far, Lt. Governor Ellspermann commented, “We could not be more pleased with the foundations that have been laid and relationships that have been established and strengthened during the first part of our agriculture trade mission. In the first few days, we have had the opportunity to travel to Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Sichuan Provinces where we have been warmly greeted by local leaders, businesses and Chinese citizens alike. I am confident our packed schedule will provide future opportunities for our state and our delegation.”