Martin Headed Overseas This Month

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin is heading overseas this month for an economic development trip.

Martin is going to Germany for a week this month on the invitation of the European American Investment Council.

He said the trip will allow him to call on businesses and industries in Germany to tell them about Toccoa and Stephens County

However, Martin said he will also take time to visit with businesses overseas who have already located here.

“Because that is a long way away, I was able to add two days on to the front end of that trip and I will use one day to visit corporate headquarters of our Sark Wire in Istanbul, Turkey and one day I will be in Wiesenberg, Germany to visit corporate headquarters for our Nifco KTW company,” said Martin. “All in all, I will be able to call on two of our existing companies and various prospects in Germany, which we will hope will become future companies in Toccoa and Stephens County.”

According to Martin, the leadership of the European American Investment Council are members of the recruitment team that helped Stephens County land the Nifco KTW project and they have other companies that are looking for sites in the United States.

He said the trip’s theme is automotive, so there will be automotive companies that he will visit with.

Martin went on to say that the chance to build and develop relationships on a trip like this is very important.

“Success in many instances is relationship-based,” said Martin. “It is what you know, but it is also who you know and the opportunity to go and visit with them, advance that relationship, is going to be valuable to our community.”

Both Stephens County and the city of Toccoa contributed funds to help pay for the trip.