Minister to lead trade mission to Italy

17/9/96

Local Government and Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Minister Paul Omodei will lead a top-level trade mission to Italy this week.

The mission includes representatives from the construction, shipbuilding, agrifood and engineering sectors seeking to establish joint ventures and strategic alliances with Italian companies.

Mr Omodei, whose ethnic background is Italian, said the mission would promote Western Australia as a cost effective and suitable location for Italian enterprises to access the markets of the Asia Pacific region.

It would also look at leading edge Italian technologies, industrial design, plant equipment and machinery, which would be suitable for Western Australian companies seeking to value add.

Mission participants include:

Mr Charlie Bontempo, Director, United Construction;

Mr Richard McBride, Managing Director, Geographe Enterprises;

Mr Vincenzo Tranchita, Finance Director, Wave Master International;

Mr Shaun Smith, Managing Director, Energy Publications;

Mr Mike Carter, Marketing Director, and Mr Frank Za Za, Director, Fremantle Fishermen's Co-operative;

Mr Greg Lynch, Managing Director, Grant Transformers;

Mr David Todd, Solicitor, Corrs Chambers Westgarth;

Mr Carlo Della Maddalena, Director, CDM Australia;

Mr Peter Mirco, Managing Director, Mirco Brothers;

Mr Ken Kuehlmann, Managing Director, WA Ostrich Company Pty Ltd;

Ms Silvia Car, Fashion Designer;

Mr Joe Scaffidi, Manager Marketing and Export, Vinci Seafood Exporters;

Mr Frank Evangelista, marketing consultant;

Mr Vince La Cava, Managing Director, Interceramics; and

Ms Fiona Hoang, Director, Stefan Jewellers.

The mission was organised by the Department of Commerce and Trade and the Western Australian Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Omodei said strong links were already being established with Italy. For example, one of the mission participants Wave Master International had recently begun operating a fast ferry service from Palermo in Sicily to Naples using a Western Australian designed and manufactured aluminum fast ferry. The journey, which normally takes 12 hours, had been reduced to four and a half hours.

Also taking part in the trade mission were European Agent General Mr Bill Hassell; representatives of the Western Australian Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Ross McLean of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and a senior Austrade official.

The mission would visit Milan, Turin and Bologna, where mission participants would take part in a series of seminars on investment opportunities. Some 3000 invitations had been extended to business in Italy.

To coincide with the visit, Mr Omodei said the Department of Commerce and Trade had translated and republished one of its most popular booklets, 'Establishing a Business in Western Australia' into Italian. The work was done with the co-operation of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and would also be published in Italian on the Internet.

The department had also dubbed the short version of its video 'Landfall Western Australia', which promotes the State's economy and its trade and investment opportunities, for distribution during the visit.

Media contact: Amanda O'Brien 222 9595