Earlier this month, I was proud to participate in the groundbreaking of a new wind turbine facility in Jonesboro. This event was significant for three reasons. First, Nordex's new plant will bring us 700 new jobs by 2014. This is encouraging news at a time when we have witnessed other plants closing and hard-working people losing their jobs. Secondly, Nordex manufactures components for the wind-energy industry. By partnering with renewable-energy companies, Arkansas is becoming a vital part of an increasingly important green-energy industry. But lastly, Nordex is significant to note because it is one of 20 German companies that have chosen to invest in Arkansas.

In concrete terms, foreign investment in Arkansas means Arkansas jobs. This is why, on October 2nd, I will travel to Europe, spending a week visiting businesses and dignitaries in London, Paris and Hamburg. Two-thirds of foreign-owned companies in Arkansas have European roots. While in Europe, I will meet with executives of companies with existing investments in Arkansas, as well as with companies we're trying to attract to the State. I will encourage potential investors, who are deciding the best place to locate in the United States, to bring their business to Arkansas. The top three European countries that have invested in Arkansas thus far are France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Along with Maria Haley, Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Dan Hendrix, CEO of the World Trade Center in Northwest Arkansas, I will serve as an ambassador for Arkansas in Europe. As we visit with European investors, I will highlight the benefits companies can expect from investing in and trading with Arkansas. We will also spend time with State Department officials to better understand the benefits Arkansas can gain from doing business with each country.

As I learned while visiting Cuba in July, we must build strong personal relationships if we're going to recruit and retain business investment and trade opportunities. Company leaders want to know who they're dealing with on a personal level. Face-to-face meetings are essential to opening lines of communication and developing mutual understanding of opportunities.

We are proud that international companies, such as Nordex, L'Oreal and Dassault Falcon Jet, have expanded to Arkansas. These established relationships can also serve as building blocks for future investment. While in Europe, we'll ask our European partner companies for introductions to their vendors. Beginning the process of developing our own relationships with those vendors is a primary goal of this trip.

Foreign affairs representatives and trade officials from France, Germany and the United Kingdom have already made trips to visit Arkansas this year. Now, it's my turn to pay a visit to them, and to share more of what our State has to offer the rest of the world. I will leave no stone unturned in working to find more jobs for Arkansans. And in a global economy, I will go wherever necessary to bring additional foreign investment and business back.