Magic Valley companies sell agri-business equipment in Mexico

Six Magic Valley companies and 10 others from Idaho will have harvest equipment, commodity trailers and other agri-business products and equipment marketed at Expo Agro-Sinaloa 2004, the largest agricultural trade show in Mexico, the Idaho Department of Commerce said Wednesday.

The Times-News

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/business/index.asp?StoryID=4183

The show, set for Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 in the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa, features 368 booths, 350-500 exhibitors and an average daily attendance of 10,000 people from 24 countries, the Commerce Department said.

Each of the 16 Idaho companies will be represented through a Spanish-language catalog and by staff from the Idaho Department of Commerce, the Idaho-Mexico Trade Office, the Idaho Farm Bureau and the Idaho Bean Commission.

The companies represented include Pickett Equipment of Burley, Cooper Equipment Inc. of Burley, Acme Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Filer, Watts Manufacturing of Jerome, Interstate Manufacturing of Rupert and Charmac Trailers of Twin Falls.

"Idaho businesses are known in the agriculture community for producing top-quality production equipment," Acting Commerce Director Roger Madsen said in a statement. "Attending Expo Agro-Sinaloa is a continuation of the state’s efforts to expose Idaho companies to Mexico’s trade potential and help them gain international recognition and market share."

Mexico is one of Idaho’s top 10 trading partners. According to Madsen, the state maintains strong ties with Mexico through a full-time trade office in Guadalajara and a sister-state agreement with the state of Jalisco.

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne returned from his third trade mission to Mexico in October. Nearly 60 people representing Idaho businesses, commodity commissions, universities and government agencies went on the three-city mission, which resulted in increased sales and revenue for participating firms, the Commerce Department said