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For Immediate Release
Contact: Alan Fogg, Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m)
Fairfax County becomes first U.S. county
to open office in Israel
Office will help Israeli technology firms interested in U.S. expansion
Fairfax County, Virginia, August 4, 2004 — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) has opened an office in Tel Aviv to work with Israeli technology companies interested in expanding into the United States. Fairfax County, in northern Virginia just outside Washington, D.C., is the first U.S. county to open a marketing office in Israel. The Tel Aviv office is the fourth overseas operation begun by the FCEDA.
Leading FCEDA efforts in Israel is Ronen Kenan. He is a citizen of the U.S. and Israel and has more than two decades of experience in business development for Israeli and American companies including EDS, the RAD Group, Orbotech, PC Soft, Radguard and BATM.
Israel is considered a springboard for many innovative companies in information technology and biotechnology. The country hosts some of the largest R & D and business centers outside the U.S. Fifteen Israeli companies already have offices in Fairfax County including Amdocs, Checkpoint Technologies, Civcom, Millimetrix Broadband Networks, Redux Communications and Spacenet.
Israeli companies that specialize in security technologies may find Fairfax an ideal U.S. location. The location near Washington, accessibility of Washington Dulles International Airport, top-ranked public schools and proximity to cultural attractions in Washington are among Fairfax County’s assets. More than $7.1 billion in federal contracts are awarded annually to firms in Fairfax County.
“Our location and our market with 4,800 technology companies, including leaders in homeland security technology, make Fairfax County a natural fit for Israeli firms interested in a U.S. presence,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the FCEDA. “Having a representative on the ground in Israel will help us spread the word more effectively about the opportunities here.”
“Fairfax County aims to build the kind of relationships that will provide tremendous help to Israeli companies interested in expanding their U.S. operations by developing meaningful business contacts with Fairfax County companies and venture capitalists,” Kenan said.
The FCEDA’s other foreign offices are in London, Frankfurt and Tokyo. This summer the county also will establish an office in Bangalore, India. Fairfax County will be the only U.S. county with representatives in five countries. Almost 300 foreign-owned companies operate in Fairfax County as a result of overseas marketing efforts.
The FCEDA (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA assists businesses by identifying possible sites and facilities, and is a source for up-to-date demographic and economic statistics. The FCEDA’s Capital Attraction Program links technology entrepreneurs with potential investors. The Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, a state entity that develops connections between Virginia and Israel in business, government, education and culture, has an office located at the FCEDA.
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