Food and Agriculture Industry: International Primer.
An international trade strategy is an essential component of a state competitiveness agenda in the 21st century
and a critical element of job growth in the immediate term. Colorado communities benefit from international
trade as it brings new money into the economy, delivers economic growth and jobs, and drives
competitiveness, productivity, and innovation.
OEDIT’s International Division. OEDIT’s International Division leads international economic development
efforts for the State of Colorado. By supporting Colorado exports and attracting foreign direct investment, the
international division helps create and retain jobs in our state, assists Colorado companies to expand and
diversify their markets and builds Colorado’s identity as an international business center. The International
Division objectives are to:
Support Colorado companies through focused export promotion activities.
Assist foreign companies to establish operations in Colorado.
Enhance Colorado’s brand in the global marketplace as a source for innovative products & services
and a place for foreign companies to work, live and play.
Foreign Direct Investment Attraction Strategies for Food and Agriculture Industry. Below is an overview of
foreign direct investment (FDI) in Colorado and the impact of foreign owned companies in Colorado (please
note that data comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis 2008 report or from the U.S. Department of
Commerce’s International Trade Administration):
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Employed 85,400 people in Colorado
Owned over $28.0 billion in gross property, plant and equipment in Colorado
Pay 13% higher wages on average than U.S. private sector businesses
Were responsible for 4.3% of Colorado’s total private-industry employment
Reinvest a substantial portion of their earnings in the U.S.
Current Industry Snapshot.
JBS Swift – a Brazilian owned food processing plant in Greeley, CO. This is Brazil’s largest U.S. investment.
Grupo Bimbo – a Mexican owned bakery with facilities in Denver and Pueblo. This is Grupo Bimbo’s
largest U.S. investment.
Agrium USA – a Canadian owned agricultural machinery company in Denver, CO.
Molson Coors – a Canadian/American owned brewery.
Seedex – a French owned Ag company with a plant in Longmont.
Fuji Foods – a Japanese owned agricultural company with operations in Denver.
Itoham Foods Inc. – a Japanese owned food production company with a plant in Denver.
JFC International – a Japanese owned food production company (whose parent company is Kikkoman)
and has a facility in Aurora.
Nestle Prepared Foods – a Swiss owned food production company with a facility in Englewood.
Nestle Purina Petcare Company – a Swiss owned pet food production company with a plant in Denver.
Sygenta Seeds Inc. – a Swiss agricultural company with a plant in Longmont.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | www.advancecolorado.com
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Top Global Companies in Industry
Company
Cargill
Nestle
JBS
Archer Daniels Midland
Kraft Foods
Agrium
Danisco
Gruma
Herdez
Sigma Alimentos
Jumex
La Costeña
AmBev
Juan Valdez Coffee Shops
Grupo Arcor
Lindt & Sprungli
Ebara Foods
Paterson Global Foods
Nissin Foods
Global HQ Location Colorado Operations?
U.S.
Yes
Switzerland
Yes
Brazil
Yes
U.S.
No
U.S.
No
Canada
Yes
Denmark
No
Mexico
No
Mexico
No
Mexico
No
Mexico
No
Mexico
No
Brazil
No
Colombia
No
Argentina
No
Switzerland
No
Japan
No
Canada
No
Japan
No
OEDIT FDI Attraction Strategies:
Identification of Target International Prospects: Work with partners in CO and our foreign network to
identify and contact foreign companies with significant potential to grow or establish operations in CO.
(See below graphs for a listing of potential target markets). Contact can occur via tradeshows, overseas
trips, ED missions, the Trade and Tourism Ambassadors, etc.
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Industry guidance to Identify International Prospects: Colorado companies can help identify global
suppliers needed in Colorado to improve a competitive advantage and target these companies for
recruitment.
Market guidance: Identify current US/regional market demand that has no local supplier
Develop an Industry Profile Marketing Piece: An Industry Profile Marketing Piece would be used to
market the Colorado industry to foreign companies. It will highlight labor supply, R&D capabilities,
supporting infrastructure, competitive analysis of industries compared to other regions/states, etc. It will
be translated into targeted languages.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | www.advancecolorado.com
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Top Colorado Commodities and Export Markets
$2,590,413
$2,700,594
$4,086,662
$4,519,035
$5,984,976
$7,630,538
$30,866,697
Top Colorado Agricultural commodities exported
worldwide in 2011 (by dollar amount)
$2,314,732
$1,764,689
Meat
Hides and Skins
Dairy, Eggs, Honey
Misc. Food
Misc. Grain, Seed, Fruit
Food waste & animal feed
Cereals
Sugars & Confectionary
Vegetables
Baking Related – flour, starch
$106,206,645
Top 10 markets for Colorado agricultural commodities in
2011
$2,173,086
$3,576,197
$1,938,014
Canada
$3,771,249
Mexico
$8,153,573
$51,732,312
Japan
China
$17,206,295
Korean Republic
Taiwan
$15,728,358
Vietnam
Hong Kong
Indonesia
$20,331,001
$37,559,594
Russia
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | www.advancecolorado.com
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Export Strategies for Food and Agriculture Industry.
International markets that show current and potential opportunities for Colorado companies (includes best
prospects for these markets):
- Chile: animal genetics, alcoholic beverages, beverages, crop, food ingredients, meat products, pet
food, seeds, snack food
- Denmark: Alcoholic beverages, dried fruits & nuts, organic products
- Hungary: Animal genetics, bovine semen, crop, dried fruit & nuts, meat products
- Russia: animal genetics, alcoholic beverages, dried fruit & nuts, fruits & vegetables, meat products
- Taiwan: Alcoholic beverages, dairy food, dried fruits & nuts, fruits & vegetables, processed food, food
ingredients, meat products, pet food
OEDIT Export Promotion Strategies/Services Provided to Support Colorado Companies.
Funding Programs
- Colorado Export Development Grant (CEDG): The CEDG provides financial support to Colorado
companies to assist them in developing new export markets. Grantees can receive up to $4,500 to
apply towards travel expenses, trade show exhibition and/or attendance, business match-making
services or other direct expenses for developing a new target market.
- Colorado Export of Innovative and Sustainable Technologies (CO-EXist): CO-EXist supports
business exchanges between Colorado companies and business, government, and industry leaders
in China and Mexico in the targeted area of sustainable and environmental technologies and
services. Companies may apply to participate in trade shows, incoming buyer visits, outgoing trade
missions, or to receive funding for client development expenses (up to $3,500) and technical
assistance (up to $5,000) for Mexico and/or China.
- Next Step Program: The Next Step Program helps qualifying Colorado companies overcome
challenges to exporting their goods and/or services to prospective buyers abroad. Financial
assistance up to $3,500 is provided directly to qualifying companies on a reimbursement basis
(with proof of receipt and assuming a $1:$1 company match) to engage in the following client
development activities with OEDIT’s support: B2B matchmaking services; interpretation and
translation of business-specific conversations and/or documents; economy-class airfare on a U.S.
carrier to and from the country to develop commercial relationships (not to include incidentals)
and lodging for up to three nights for the exporting SME or potential buyer in Colorado or the
international market. Funds are available for disbursement on a rolling basis.
Export Events
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Trade Shows: The OEDIT participates in domestic and foreign trade shows for the dual purpose of
export- and investment promotion. Exporting companies benefit from OEDIT’s coordination of
business-to-business matchmaking, exhibition logistics, and lead generation.
Foreign Missions: The OEDIT organizes foreign missions to strategic markets to help exporters
increase their international sales and to promote Colorado as a place to invest. Common features
of trade missions include: customized appointments for Colorado companies with potential
partners in industry and government, customized industry briefings and networking opportunities.
Incoming Buyer Delegations: The OEDIT arranges business-to-business appointments between
visiting international buyers and Colorado companies in order to assist foreign buyers with
sourcing goods and services from Colorado.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | www.advancecolorado.com
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General Services and Programs
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Export Counseling and Commercial Diplomacy: OEDIT’s international staff counsels Colorado
companies in the areas of marketing, sales, market selection, partner selection, and the
fundamentals of exporting.
Foreign Representatives: The OEDIT has a Trade Representative in Mexico City run by a private
consultant, an Honorary Trade and Investment Representative in Tokyo, and an Honorary
European Trade and Investment Office in Dublin. The foreign office representation provides onthe-ground presence for assisting Colorado companies and promoting Colorado to potential
investors.
Trade-Related Education: The OEDIT organizes and co-organizes conferences and workshops on
trade-related topics, which bring experts to speak on opportunities and challenges. Staff members
also speak at workshops related to international trade.
International Market Analysis Partnership (IMAP) Program: The OEDIT and accredited Colorado
universities partner to offer international market analysis performed jointly by the international
staff and graduate-level business students. Colorado companies wishing to explore new export
markets can utilize the program to gain valuable market research specific to their needs.
OEDIT Requests Steering Committee’s Feedback to Enhance International Strategies/Services:
FDI Attraction:
o What additional FDI opportunities do you see for the food and agriculture industry in Colorado?
o Do you have any international suppliers who you would like to bring to Colorado in partnership with OEDIT
and the economic development community?
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Export Promotion:
o Does company currently use government resources to help grow export markets?
o How else can OEDIT help establish and nurture international relationships for the food and agriculture
industry?
o Are you interested in participating in a trade event to promote exports of your goods or services? What
international market are you most interested in pursuing through exports?
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | www.advancecolorado.com
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