Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Tuesday she will lead an overseas trade mission to the United Kingdom, Belgium and Ireland from July 19 through July 24, highlighting Arkansas’ growing aerospace and defense industry while pursuing new international investments.
The trip will include participation in the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense exhibitions, along with meetings with international business executives, government officials and potential investors.
Sanders said Arkansas has already seen significant returns from previous international trade missions.
“I’ve had the privilege of representing Arkansas at the Paris Air Show and Farnborough Air Show since I took office, and in that time we’ve secured investments from aerospace and defense leaders like Dassault Falcon Jet, RTX, and Taber Extrusions.
This year, we’ll continue that proven track record at the Farnborough Airshow in the U.K. and in meetings with key business and government leaders in Belgium and Ireland. International trade missions offer our team the chance to pitch Arkansas in-person to some of the largest companies in the world, many of which focus on Arkansas’ largest export industry – aerospace and defense – and I look forward to telling our great story this year and continuing to attract jobs and investment to the Natural State.”
During the six-day mission, the governor is scheduled to participate in panel discussions hosted by the Aerospace Industries Association, the Irish-American Chamber, and the Belgian-American Chamber.
She will also meet with executives from major aerospace and defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, RTX, Radius Aerospace, General Dynamics, Hanwha, Kingspan, and other prospective investors to discuss future opportunities in Arkansas.
In addition to business meetings, Sanders is expected to meet with several high-ranking government leaders, including Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder, U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James Warren Stephens, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh, and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White.
According to the governor’s office, previous international trade missions have already produced major economic development wins for Arkansas, including:
Dassault Falcon Jet’s $100 million expansion in Little Rock, creating 800 jobs.
RTX’s manufacturing facility in East Camden, originally announced as a $33 million investment before growing to $63 million.
Taber Extrusions’ $60 million expansion in Russellville, creating 70 new jobs.
State officials say the goal of this year’s mission is to continue attracting high-paying jobs, expanding Arkansas’ aerospace and defense sector, and strengthening relationships with international business leaders.
