Chinese company meets with key Marion leaders
By Lucas Sweitzer, Local Editor
Six delegates from a company in Beijing visited Marion recently as part of a series of ongoing talks with Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold about expanding a business partnership between the Midwestern city and the Tiancheng Group in China.
This advance is supported by many key Marion business leaders, including Darren Reese, Marion's Director of Development Services. According to Reese, a partnership with the group could bring jobs to the unique demographic workforce of Marion.
"The Tiancheng project revolves around agricultural development," Reese said. "We are committed to ongoing conversations with them to hopefully meet their project goals."
One of the reasons Marion is such an attractive city to partner with is the large percentage of recent college graduates from Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan University, according to Grant Country Economic Growth Council President Scott Murphy.
"(The delegates) were very receptive and very pleased with their visit to various businesses and universities," Murphy said.
While in Marion, the delegates visited many local businesses, both Taylor and IWU, as well as Marion High School, attending a Chinese class. After dinner at K-Bistro, Murphy, Mayor Seybold and Tiancheng's Deputy General Manager Zhou Xuezhong signed a non-binding letter of cooperation, which states the mutual benefit in exploring business options for the future.
Though the document doesn't legally hold either party to any financial obligation, it puts into writing many plans the two groups have been working on for some time.
This is just the latest development in a series of talks that has taken Mayor Seybold overseas to Beijing multiple times over the last few years. According to Murphy, these talks could start to pay off soon.
"I think the group is very interested in establishing a relationship with the U.S.," Murphy said. "Clearly Mayor Seybold and Linda Dawson have done a good job explaining what Grant County has to offer and the potential that we have, both in agriculture and labor environment."
The Tiancheng Group handles a variety of business practices, primarily known for manufacturing steel and steel tubes in Beijing. Even though this is the company's main business, it isn't why they're looking at Marion as a potential business partner.
According to Grant County Economic Council Public Relations Representative Courtney Smear, the Tiancheng Group is mainly interested in Marion for the purposes of agricultural development. Smear says the workforce Marion provides is very tempting for a growing company like Tiancheng.
"It just kind of makes sense," Smear said. "They're looking for a place with land and hard workers, and we have exactly that. A partnership between Marion and Tiancheng would be a win-win for sure."
The delegates returned to Beijing on Nov. 27, ending this latest round of talks. Mayor Seybold is already planning another trip to Beijing in early 2013 to further negotiations.
