By Carole Hawkins, [email protected]
Mike Breen speaks Dutch, French, German, Serbo Croatian, Latvian, Russian and English.
In all seven languages, he can tell CEOs overseas why Jacksonville is a good place for their company and their home.
“I tell them we combine Southern hospitality with a Florida lifestyle,” Breen said.
Boasting more Fortune 500 corporate headquarters than any other Florida city, Jacksonville also is the place where Florida goes to work.
Breen is the senior director of international business development for JAXUSA, the chamber’s economic development arm. His job is getting foreign companies to move to or expand in Jacksonville.
That matters to members of the Global Council of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, to whom Breen spoke at a January business meeting. “When we bring companies here, people relocate,” he said.
JAXUSA targets companies in finance, medical/life sciences, logistics, IT, advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace — industries that have a presence in Northeast Florida.
The group’s best success so far has come from Western European companies, Breen said. But companies from China, Japan and Korea also have established a presence here.
Who’s come before is often a prelude to who will come later. That’s because people like to go where there are already other people from their country, Breen said.
For example, Houston has become known for its abundance of Chinese companies and South Carolina for its German firms.
How Breen gets the companies to come is part business analyst, part ambassador.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars play in London, for example, JAXUSA goes along. They meet with companies from places like Liverpool, Leeds Bradford and Manchester — places with ports, revitalized downtowns and industries similar to Jacksonville.
It isn’t all about matching business interests, though. Like a Realtor’s strategy, it’s also about making friends.
The branding that comes from having the Jaguars play in Wembley Stadium, for instance, is invaluable, Breen said. About 83,000 attend each game.
When the Jaguars are getting known, so is Jacksonville.
“One of the most exciting moments I passed on to (Jaguars President) Mark Lamping was someone later spotted Paul McCartney in London wearing a Jaguars hat.”
• Learn about getting financing for overseas buyers. “One of the biggest problems for our international buyers is getting mortgages,” Breen said. The more familiar agents are with the processes, the more of a resource they become.
• Find and stay in contact with international companies that are already here and make contact with companies that are coming in. Mercedes brings in two or three people every year, Breen said.
• Get networked with local ethnic groups, and consider hosting a group. There’s always someone connected to a person who needs a service.