WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — The Williamson County Economic Development Partnership (EDP) has gone global with its new office in Seoul, South Korea.
Williamson County EDP says the office, which opened on July 1, will help South Korean companies that are looking to expand business to the U.S.
Dave Porter is the economic development director for Williamson County EDP. He said he believes South Korea could represent a new frontier for Texas business owners.
“Korea has become a premier location for generating technology, so this is a great place to invest in an office that not only helps companies in South Korea locate in Williamson County, but is a launching pad for all of Asia,” Porter said.
The Williamson County EDP was founded in 2014 to create a partnership between Williamson County and city economic development leaders to market and promote economic development in Williamson County. Members from each of the contributing government entities make up Williamson County EDP's board of directors.
According to Porter, the new Samsung semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor means large numbers of suppliers will have to relocate to Central Texas. The EDP office will also target companies involved in the research, software, automotive and life sciences industries.
According to a press release, within the first two weeks of opening, the Seoul office had already generated two leads for Williamson County EDP.
“We have placed a sign in the sky that says Williamson County is open for business,” County Judge Bill Gravell said. “This office gives us boots on the ground locally so that when companies come to KOTRA wanting to do business in the U.S., they can walk them down the hall to our offices.”
One of the Williamson County EDP's first projects will take place Sept. 12 and will be a half-day seminar discussing how to do business in Williamson County. Between 100 and 150 companies are expected to attend the seminar and will consist of economic development leaders, city managers and more.
The EDP Seoul office is located in the KOTRA headquarters, a Korean state-funded trade and investment promotion organization.