Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mechelen (Voka) Your Doorway to International Markets

Transcription

1 Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mechelen (Voka) Your Doorway to International Markets

2 TO KNOW IT, IS TO LOVE IT Looking for the right business location with the right quality of life? Belgium has the most open economy in Europe, trading in goods and services worth nearly 1.7 times its gross domestic product. In this respect, Belgium occupies fourth place on the world stage, behind Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. activities in the country over the following three years. Along with Scandinavia, Belgium is in the lead group of nations pursuing an efficient and accessible immigration policy, which makes them attractive to highly skilled immigrants. The country has a unique and attractive taxation measure in Europe when it comes to foreign investments: km 500 km 250 km 01 1,5 Bn GDP (17%) 54 mio consumers 02 3,7 Bn GDP (42%) 131 mio consumers 03 6,0 Bn GDP (67%) 236 mio consumers Sixty-plus percent of the EU s purchasing power is within a 750 km radius. In Belgium, the region of Mechelen occupies a prime location for foreign investment because it is one of the fastest growing regions in Europe in every way. It matches its unique economic potential with a number of measures aimed at stimulating foreign investment even further. Belgium is ranked by the KOF index as the most globalized country in the world, given that our economy is driven by the global setting and by our international perspective. Based on its location and added value, Flanders is the gateway for numerous companies to the European market. Situated right at the point where the Anglo-Saxon, Latin and Germanic cultures meet, Flanders offers companies the geographical position, the flexibility, the languages, the business skills, the knowledge, the entrepreneurial spirit, culture and quality of living, and of course, innovative thinking global companies are constantly in need of. According to AmCham s Business Barometer, one in four American companies has executed a strategically important investment in Belgium in the past year. What s more, another 25% is planning to expand its business MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISTRICT OF MECHELEN Area of 510 km citizens (January 1st 2013) companies in communities In 2013, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mechelen delivered certificates of origin in order to export goods for a total amount of euro Located at the heart of Europe in the Flanders region of Belgium, Mechelen is situated not only 15 minutes from Brussels, the home of most European Institutions and the national airport but also 15 minutes from Antwerp, Europe s second largest main cargo port and regional airport. A superb gateway to the whole continent of Europe, Mechelen is the most central location in this potential market of some 236 million consumers. Modern infrastructure provides excellent access to Europe s motorways, high-speed train networks and inland waterways. Two main motorways from north to south cross the Mechelen region and optimize its accessibility: E19-A1 and A12. In short there are convenient connections to all major business centers throughout Europe. Many multinationals and international companies from around the world have chosen Mechelen as the base for their European operations. Therefore there is a wide range of economic activities and heterogeneity of firms. Urban planning: there is sufficient industrial land available with access to multimodal transport. A valuable commercial asset of a well-educated, highly trained, skilled, entrepreneurial, productive, flexible and multilingual workforce thanks to a diversity of educational institutions and a highly varied range of studies. Cities, market towns and villages offer high-quality accommodation with easy access to an extensive choice of world-class sports, leisure and shopping facilities.

3 Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mechelen aims to be the closest and most influential professional network for its members, businesses and potential businesses. With the support of the entire Voka alliance, it aims to stimulate and support free enterprise as an autonomous, neutral, private and representative player. The Mechelen Chamber is the international contact and meeting point to start and boost your international business! In cooperation with (official) partners in the region and in Flanders, we create the ideal matrix for the district of Mechelen to play a key role in international trade. We not only support our businesses to grow locally but most of all to explore and expand internationally thanks to our expertise and professional contacts worldwide. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY OF MECHELEN : FACTS & FIGURES Established in 1924 Neutral employers organization Private law status Non-subsidized Part of the oldest and largest network in the world members (SME s and large companies) 21 employees Accredited by the Federation of Belgian Chambers ISO 9001 certified Spear sectors: Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals - Port & Logistics - Agro & Biotech THE 7 VALUES OF THE MECHELEN CHAMBER : 1 Transparancy: open communication 2 Involvement: entrepreneurship 3 Result-oriented: individual and collective goals 4 Customer-oriented: tailormade, up to date, added value 5 Innovative: pro-active 6 Respect: social responsibility 7 Representative: proclaiming the entrepreneurial voice DISTRICT OF MECHELEN Berlaar 02 Bonheiden 03 Bornem 04 Duffel 05 Heist-op-den-Berg 06 Lier 07 Mechelen LONDON (GB) 350 km BRUGES 120 km MECHELEN GHENT 25 km LILLE (F) 145 km AMSTERDAM (NL) 180 km Nijlen 09 Putte 10 Puurs 11 Sint-Amands 12 Sint-Katelijne-Waver 13 Willebroek ANTWERP 25 km BRUSSELS 25 km HASSELT 75 km FRANKFURT (D) 415 km PARIS (F) 335 km LUXEMBURG (L) 230 km

4 THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY MECHELEN (VOKA) Your prominent partner for international business needs! OUR ONE STOP SHOP EXPORT DESK : LEGALIZATION OF CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN : For permanent export of goods outside the EU Within the EU: in case of commercial necessity (upon request by the client) Online via Digichambers: ISSUANCE OF ATA CARNETS ( ADMISSION TEMPORAIRE/TEMPORARY ADMISSIONS ): International customs documents for temporary export of goods Valid for occupation-related material (e.g. racing cars, racing horses, works of art... ), sales samples, conventions & expositions Complete exemption from import duties, VAT, licenses/ permits and customs guarantee money-saving Only valid in countries that have signed the ATA treaty Valid for 1 year CONSULAR SERVICES: For the signing of export documents (Certificates of Origin, invoices, letters...) at consulates OUR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY: Seminars on various international topics: e.g., VAT, shipping documents, sales contracts, credit management, Incoterms, customs... Breakfast sessions for export beginners In-house training tailored to a company s specific needs: customs, incoterms, VAT... Annual international business week: all over Flanders with various country workshops OUR NETWORK AND COACHING OPPORTUNITIES: Learning networks: coaching projects for small and middle-sized companies to start or expand their international business through awareness creation, sharing and implementation of know how and best practices. These networks are conducted in close cooperation with business schools, university colleges, students and captains of industry to offer tailor made solutions for common pitfalls and bottlenecks encountered by companies during international trade. Network opportunities, workshops and one on one coaching are key to meet the international goals of each participant. Lunch & Learn sessions: individual meetings with the Economic Representatives of the Flemish government based abroad Meet the expert: one on one meetings with experts from the international business arena Bar International: monthly appointment with the ambassador of a different country. A meeting platform for high level networking between foreign businesses, local companies, captains of industry, embassies, governmental institutions, bilateral Chambers of Commerce & Industry and other service providers. OUR EXCLUSIVE CCI MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: Tailor-made advice free of charge for members only examples: Which documents do I need to export my goods to China? Can you provide information about Incoterms (International Commercial Terms)? Where can I find distribution agents for my leather goods in Spain? How do I hire personnel for my new office in Poland? What are the conditions for conducting business and hiring staff in Switzerland? What import duties do I have to pay to import furniture from Indonesia? Are there financial subsidies for my prospecting trip to Brazil? International business column in the magazine of CCI Mechelen Monthly newsletter in English with up to date international news, testimonials, new projects and activities Translation - proofreading - revision of documents by a professional translation bureau Oriental Business Express : information desk to support business in Asia Start up service: regional information and contacts to set up your business in the district of Mechelen

5 OUR ECONOMICAL ASSETS Rhenus Midi Data appreciates the assets of Mechelen Economic assets such as Mechelen s location right in the heart of the Flemish Diamond, the excellent accessibility and ditto connections to places such as ports, airports and foreign markets via highways make that Mechelen forms an attractive base for among others the logistics sector. In this respect, Rhenus Midi Data is convinced of the potential of the district of Mechelen. Rhenus Midi Data is part of the German logistics group Rhenus Logistics, which with 24,000 people employed and 7,000 trucks daily on the road has an annual turnover of four billion euro. According to Rhenus, Mechelen is the perfect location to build its own logistics network for high technological loads for the Benelux, especially after they had taken over Wincanton Specialist Transport two years ago, a company which was already established in Mechelen. The fact that the European CEO himself has chosen the Mechelen region as an initial base, emphasizes this vision. Given that they have grown to a number of twenty-two permanent full-time workers, Rhenus Midi Data clearly finds itself already in a positive flow. Rhenus Midi Data is more than just a logistics company. It stands for specialized supplies of high-tech goods such as medical equipment, copiers and vending machines. For these goods we use specially equipped trucks with, for example, an air and heated cargo space. Our people do not only deliver these devices. If desired, they install and test them as well, so that the customer only has to fine tune the device according to his preferences. This means that we are more than just a transport company, which makes that our employees are more than just drivers. Rather, they are engineers with an interest in fine technique, who we internally train with a private coach. The fact that we find these profiles in the Mechelen region, certainly helps us moving forward, says operations manager Marc Verheyen from Rhenus Midi Data. As part of the European technical distribution network Tecdis, the company sends its trucks to customers in countries like France, Germany, Portugal and Italy. The central location of Mechelen is the reason why the company is an important link in this well-oiled chain. Our current location is a rental property where we can occupy more space if needed. Even if we want to buy our own place, Mechelen remains the preferred location, emphasizes Marc Verheyen. The presence of many other logistics players is of no importance, because they do not compete with us because of our specialization. But for us, as well as for the entire logistics industry, the central location remains an important given as well as the driven mentality that prevails among the employees. In addition, finding bilingual work force in this region is not problematic at all, which is another competitive advantage.

6 OUR INTERNATIONAL TEAM AT YOUR SERVICE: Petra Van Bouwelen Manager International Business Alexandra Lamers Assistant Manager International Business Bart Permentier Export desk wwww.voka.be/mechelen Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mechelen O.L.Vrouwestraat Mechelen Belgium (Europe) T +32 (0) F +32 (0) E mechelen@voka.be