For ten years Parter International, Inc. served as the North American representative for the government development authority for the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. It provided a full complement of services associated with inward investment promotion, including company identification, investment negotiations, media development and relations, database management, promotional document design, telemarketing, investment missions, seminars, and aftercare. Research and target list development is an ongoing activity. After determination of key “clusters” earmarked for Bernese expertise and/or growth, such as precision machinery, biotech, medical equipment and information technology, Parter International conducted research to develop a database of firms in the US and Canada that would be receptive to investment in Europe and fit the criteria for desirable firms. Telemarketing and direct outreach added additional companies to the database and provided further input used to fine-tune marketing messages and materials. A considerable number of companies have been researched and a database of approx. 8,000 companies has been retained.
This investment attraction program resulted in direct investments in the Canton of Berne by eBay; Frito-Lay; Battelle Memorial Institute; K-12; International Biomedical; Cemex; UPS Supply Chain Solutions; and many others.