Mission Description

The Commercial Service of the U.S. Consulate in Montreal is organizing an "Aerospace DealMaker" trade event, which will visit Montreal, October 16-17, 2000. Participating U.S. companies will benefit from briefings by local experts on the Canadian market, a networking reception and most importantly, pre-scheduled, pre-qualified one-on-one meetings with Canadian aerospace companies. Mission participants will also benefit from special presentations by Bombardier Aerospace and Bell Helicopter Textron, each of which will be followed by mini "suppliers conferences" given by purchasing executives within these two companies. Plant tours will also be part of the program.
 
 

Commercial Setting

Canada has become a key player in the global aerospace industry and a market leader in regional aircraft, commercial helicopters, turbine engines, flight simulators and a broad range of aircraft systems, components and equipment. Canada now ranks fifth worldwide for its sales in the aerospace industry. It is estimated that by year 2001 foreign aerospace suppliers will provide two-thirds of the material inputs of Canadian aerospace production.

Quebec is at the heart of the Canadian Aerospace Industry. Quebec sales have reached US$ 5.7 billion in 1998 and are expected to reach US$ 7.8 billion by year 2000. This represents a 37% increase over two years, and will bring the Quebec activity level from 57 to 60 percent of the Canadian aerospace industry. Quebec ranks sixth worldwide for its sales in the aerospace industry.

Most of this activity originates from Montreal, which does 70 percent of Canadian

aerospace R & D. Montreal is home to recognize leaders such as Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and CAE. To this exceptional concentration of world leaders, we can add other big names such as Air Canada (maintenance center), Rolls-Royce Canada, EMS Technologies Canada, BAE Systems Canada, Héroux, Lockheed Martin Canada, Messier-Dowty, Sextant Avionics, and many other suppliers, mostly SMEs, which form a cluster of 250 aerospace firms.

With strong growth forecast to continue in the Canadian aerospace sector for the foreseeable future, opportunities for U.S. aerospace suppliers in a broad range of sub-sectors have never been better.
 
 

Mission Goals

This DealMaker's goal is to maximize export opportunities for the participating U.S. companies in this vital sector, by providing an inexpensive, high-impact method of meeting new international buyers, partners, agents, distributors, representatives and joint venture partners.
 
 

Mission Scenario

U.S. firms will take part in formal matchmaking sessions with Canadian companies, and will be given several opportunities to interact with local company representatives at networking event. The matchmaking sessions will take place in a hotel ballroom reserved for that purpose. Participants will also take part in plant tours at and will get supplier briefings from Bombardier Aerospace and Bell Helicopter Textron.
 
 

Timetable

The Aerospace DealMaker takes place on October 16 and 17, 2000.

Participants arrive according to their own schedules on Sunday, October 15. The event will start the next morning at the hotel with a Commercial Service Briefing on "Doing Business in Canada. The briefing will be followed by an overview of the Canadian/Quebec/Montreal aerospace market presented by Aerospace and Defense sector experts from both the Canadian and the Quebec governments. Each American participant will then be invited to give a brief description of their company activities and goals before an audience composed of local aerospace firms. A networking luncheon will then take place, followed by one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments throughout the afternoon. The Consul General will host a networking reception immediately following the appointments. Participants will be on their own for dinner.

The next morning will start with a large audience networking breakfast hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. The president of Bombardier Aerospace, who is American, will be the keynote speaker at the event. The supplier briefings by Bombardier Aerospace and Bell Helicopter Textron, and plant tours will complete the morning events. The program ends with the participants returning to the Hotel.
 
 

Recruitment and Criteria for Participation

Recruitment of U.S. firms will be by the FCS Canada in conjunction with the National Aerospace/Defense Team. National Aerospace/Defense Team contact lists and databases will be utilized in the recruitment of this event. The target number of companies for this mission is fifteen, with a cut-off date for recruitment of August 25, 2000. This event will be listed on the federal register and the ITA homepage.

Criteria for participation are as follows:

• Timely and adequate provision of company and product/service information and literature, to enable communication of company’s objectives and scheduling of appointments.
• Timeliness of company's completed application and payment of participation fees. Submission of the US$1,200 participation fee, the participation agreement, and certifications.
• Certification that the company meets U.S. Department of Commerce guidelines for participation, including certification that the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the United States. If the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced outside of the United States, the product/service must be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. content representing at least 51% of the value of the finished good or service.

Contact Information

Michèle Parent

Commercial Assistant

Commercial Service

Consulate General of the United States of America

P. O. Box 847

Champlain, NY 12919

Tel: (514) 398-9695 ext. 2274

Fax: (514) 398-0673

e-mail: michele.parent@mail.doc.gov