Contact: Shawn Uhlman, PDC, 503-823-7994
September 15, 2014
Patrick Quinton, Executive Director, PDC and Chandra Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing, International Trade Administration
The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that the Portland Development Commission will receive $299,420 from the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) to help the green building and clean tech product industries generate foreign exports.
On Monday, September 15, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Chandra Brown met with PDC officials in acknowledgement of the MDCP award.
PDC Executive Director Patrick Quinton said, “We are excited and honored to receive this funding. It’s a huge resource boost at the local level and will allow us to grow exports and open the gateways to additional markets in coordination with our federal partners. We believe our participation in the MDCP has tremendous potential for job creation, increased exports and economic growth that will benefit all Portlanders.”
The funded project will allow PDC to expand U.S. exports by: 1) forging international partnerships; 2) providing customized market research for local companies; 3) creating a database of business leads; and 4) leading business development trips abroad. As a condition of the award, which calls for a 2:1 match for up to the full amount over three years, PDC will invest $600,000 of its own resources through the We Build Green Cities initiative.
“This is a trade-dependent region and we need to ensure small and medium-size companies have the same opportunities that their larger counterparts have,” said Brown. “When you combine that focus with the overall goal to expand U.S. exports and grow American manufacturing jobs, I have no doubt PDC will deliver.”
