WASHINGTON DC – Anthony Bodin, assistant director of international commerce for Louisiana Economic Development, has been named as a leader of the FDI Frontlines Coalition, a national organization focused on arming state, regional and local economic development organizations (EDOs) with the resources they need to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).
“Global investment plays a critical role in Louisiana’s economy, and Anthony’s efforts through Louisiana Economic Development have made the Pelican State a leader in attracting foreign investment,” said Nancy McLernon, president and CEO of the Organization for International Investment (OFII), a non-profit business association representing 170 of the world’s largest employers that is supporting the coalition. “EDOs engage with global investors to create opportunities for their communities, fighting every day to improve the business climate in America. At its essence, the FDI Frontlines Coalition is about helping EDOs attract more global investment, and we’re honored to have Anthony help lead this initiative.”
With the support of OFII and its insourcing member companies, the FDI Frontlines Coalition will offer EDOs an opportunity to enhance their global investment IQ by providing research and business insight while also amplifying their voice on ways America can attract more foreign direct investment.
“The launch of the FDI Frontlines Coalition comes at a propitious time as the United States is once again the preferred location for international investment,” Bodin said. “I am honored to join this effort in helping to attract thousands of new jobs to our economies.”
The FDI Frontlines Coalition was officially launched at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC on Monday, which brought seven cabinet secretaries and three governors together with thousands of EDOs and foreign employers to focus on increasing foreign direct investment in America. Already, more than 175 EDOs have joined the national coalition.
Insourcing companies support 58,300 jobs in the state. Nationally, these insourcing companies employ 5.8 million Americans, support an annual payroll of $456 billion, paying U.S. workers an average of $78,927 – more than 33 percent higher than the economy-wide average. Insourcing companies also produce more than 21 percent of U.S. exports, providing $334 billion in American goods annually to customers around the world.
