ATLANTIC CANADIAN OFFSHORE INDUSTRY BUSINESSES HEAD TO BRAZIL MONCTON (NB) October 2, 2011 A delegation of 21 companies and organizations from the supply and services sector of Atlantic Canada s offshore industry is heading to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to showcase their products and services and attend meetings with key Brazilian and international industry representatives. From October 4 to 6, 2011, the delegates will attend the inaugural Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Brasil. This event will provide delegates with an opportunity to learn about new technical advances for the offshore sector. Atlantic participants will also benefit from pre-arranged one-on-one business meetings and business networking events. Brazil is our country s largest trading partner in South America and a key priority market, both for Canada and Atlantic Canada, said the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. This business mission will help increase trade and export opportunities between our two countries and diversify markets, creating direct benefits for Canadian businesses and workers. Increased opportunities in the Brazilian market will translate into more jobs and a stronger economy for all Canadians. New Brunswick is open for business and the expansion of its export opportunities, said New Brunswick Deputy Premier and Economic Development Minister, the Honourable Paul Robichaud. Brazil is one of the BRIC countries and offers tremendous growth potential. We are strongly supporting and encouraging our businesses in their economic development efforts to diversify markets. This delegation which includes two New Brunswick companies represents one step forward in the New Brunswick government s goal to create more prosperity in our province. Newfoundland and Labrador s ocean technology sector will be well-represented at OTC Brasil where they will be able to target new business opportunities in a country that has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. This activity has, in part, been fueled by Brazil s offshore oil production. OTC Brasil provides an interactive platform for local delegates to learn more about opportunities in the Brazilian marketplace. We believe that the experience and expertise offered by Newfoundland and Labrador s ocean technology sector can help Brazil maximize the potential of its offshore industries..../2
-2- OTC Brasil is a new biennial event sponsored by the Offshore Technology Conference, and is OTC s first event held outside of Houston, Texas. More than 210 companies and 340 confirmed exhibitors representing 17 countries will be attending the event. The conference will focus on international deepwater and offshore technology with the goal of providing attendees and exhibitors with the latest in technical advances, challenges and opportunities for the global offshore sector. Prominent industry leaders and experts on key issues facing the Brazilian and global offshore oil and gas industry will present their views in a series of special sessions during the conference. Canada-Brazil commercial relations continue to grow. In 2010, bilateral trade between Canada and Brazil reached $5.9 billion, and two-way investment between Canada and Brazil reached $23 billion, driven by more than 400 Canadian companies in Brazil. Exports from Atlantic Canada to Brazil totalled $164 million in 2010. An investment of $108,000 for the OTC Brasil business mission was provided through the Canada-Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development (IBDA). The IBDA is a federal/provincial agreement between the Government of Canada (ACOA, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and Industry Canada) and the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada, and is designed to help Atlantic Canadian businesses enter, explore and succeed in international markets. The IBDA is the leading component of a pan- Atlantic effort to foster business relations, attract foreign investment and nurture technological co-operation. FOR BROADCAST USE: A delegation of 21 businesses and organizations from Atlantic Canada is heading to Brazil to attend a major international offshore technology conference, OTC Brasil. The event runs from October 4-6, 2011. The delegates will have the opportunity to showcase their products and services and attend meetings with key Brazilian industry representatives. ACOA Minister Bernard Valcourt said this mission to Brazil will help increase trade and export opportunities between the two countries, translating into more jobs and a stronger economy for all Canadians. Brazil is Canada s largest trading partner in South America, and a key market for both Canada and the Atlantic region. In 2010, bilateral trade between Canada and Brazil reached $5.9 billion, and exports from Atlantic Canada to Brazil totalled $164 million. -30-.../3
-3- INFORMATION: Andrea Richer Press Secretary Office of Minister Valcourt 613-790-3637 Marie-Berthe Losier Communications, Business New Brunswick 506-453-8607 marie-berthe.losier@gnb.ca Jennifer Goostrey Manager, Client services Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 506-851-4831, 506-229-0295 jennifer.goostrey@acoa-apeca.gc.ca Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 709-690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca (This news release is available on the ACOA s website at www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca under Media Room and photos will be available under Photo Album.)
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER Following is the list of the 21 Atlantic Canadian companies and organizations that are participating in OTC Brasil. Companies: ActionHero: The Halifax, Nova Scotia-based company developed an action tracking software for technical engineers and project managers to accurately track and manage critical project actions. Their product is a web-based, low-cost solution that offers a variety of unique features to users. Aecon Fabco: Headquartered in Woodside, Nova Scotia, Aecon Fabco is a full service, multitrade unionized fabricator/constructor with self-performing expertise in all industrial trades, complimented by the largest pipe fabrication and modular assembly facilities in Canada. Associated Manufacturing: Based in New Brunswick, Associated Manufacturing is a joint venture of six eastern Canadian metalworking and industrial service firms with extensive experience in major project management, equipment fabrication, assembly and installation for heavy industry. Centre for Marine Simulation (CMS): St. John s, Newfoundland and Labrador s Centre for Marine Simulation, is the largest suite for marine simulation capacity in Canada, specializing in using its equipment and expertise to create offshore operations. Compusult Limited: Compusult is a 26-year old IT and electronics company based in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, that is primarily focused on geospatial technologies for defence, aerospace, and government needs. They are also extensively experienced in software and electronics design and development; systems integration; and secure data centre operations and hosting services, especially for Web-based applications. Don Brenton s Fire Protection: Don Brenton s Fire Protection has been a leader in the fire protection industry in Atlantic Canada for over 60 years. The Lakeside, Nova Scotia, company carries out service for marine, offshore and all sectors of industry, and offers a complete line of conventional and special hazard fire detection and fire suppression systems, along with portable fire, fixed fire and semi-fixed fire extinguishers. Dynamic Air Shelters Ltd.: Based in Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, Dynamic Air Shelters Ltd. is a leader in the temporary shelter industry. The company s products can be rapid deployed, are resistant to both blast and ballistic threats and are employed in the petro chemical and military markets. Dynamic builds some of the largest air beam shelters in the world. Genoa Design International Ltd.: Genoa Design International Ltd. is a marine production design company located in St. John s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Genoa provides production lofting and detail design services to marine and offshore industries around the world. /2
-2- I. H. Mathers/Reliance Offshore: I. H. Mathers is an Atlantic Canadian based, fully integrated offshore logistics company that provides a comprehensive range of marine, offshore and logistics services. Reliance Offshore, a member of the I. H. Mathers group of companies, specializes in the supply and employment of offshore construction, marine and production personnel. Intelligent Maritime Solutions: Intelligent Maritime Solutions, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a provider of tightly integrated solutions based on Canadian technologies for hydrography, nautical cartography, traffic monitoring and simulation. JASCO Applied Sciences: With offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Victoria, British Columbia, JASCO Applied Sciences is an international group of companies with over 25 years of experience serving the oil and gas, renewable energy, and defence sectors. JASCO designs and manufactures a range of acoustic sensor systems, including autonomous recorders, towed arrays and real-time buoys. JASCO has a world-wide reputation for independent, robust and cuttingedge scientific research. Maritime Hydraulic / MHD Offshore Group: The Moncton, New Brunswick, company s facilities provide services including in-house hardchrome plating/grinding, complete systems for welding, machining and fabricating, and assembly/testing. MHD Offshore Group, has developed the most cost-effective, dependable, solutions for the offshore drilling and production environment. Rolls-Royce Canada Limited Naval Marine: The company has an office located in Peterborough, Ontario specializing in deck handling machinery and another office located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia which provides and manufactures sensors and sensor platforms such as the Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP ), SeaCycler, SeaHorse wave powered profiler, Laser Optical Particle Counter (LOPC ), and Free Fall Cone Penetrometer (FFCPT ). Rolls-Royce Canada Limited Naval Marine also supplies launch, recovery and stowage systems for naval sensors and unmanned marine vehicles. Rutter Inc.: Based in St. John s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Rutter has internationally recognized expertise on the provision of advanced radar signal processing for the detection, tracking and imaging of oil slicks on the ocean surface utilizing marine navigation radars, and the detection of small surface targets for SAR and Surveillance. Virtual Marine Technology (VMT): The St. John s, Newfoundland and Labrador company applies its maritime simulation and subject matter expertise to meet the needs of the global energy and defence industries. Organizations: Business New Brunswick: The Department of Business New Brunswick (BNB) drives the province s economic development strategy through business retention and expansion and cluster development. BNB helps traditional resource and manufacturing industries be more profitable, and helps to create business clusters that focus on advanced learning, biosciences, health, energy, aerospace and defence and advanced manufacturing. /3
-3- Marine Institute s School of Ocean Technology: Part of Newfoundland and Labrador s Memorial University, the School of Ocean Technology, develops and delivers education and training and applied research and development programs in various aspects of ocean technology. The school is committed to meeting the needs of the ocean sector (industry, academia and government) in Canada, and abroad. Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development: The department is committed to working with companies and organizations in traditional and knowledge-based industries to secure new trade relationships and increase export activity in Newfoundland and Labrador. Nova Scotia Department of Energy: The Nova Scotia Department of Energy promotes, supports, coordinates, administers, and gives policy advice concerning the development of a prosperous, clean, efficient, and sustainable energy industry for Nova Scotia. OceansAdvance: OceansAdvance has over 50 industry members with specializations in a variety of offshore technologies. The St. John s-based organization fosters and promotes the growth and development of the offshore and marine technologies cluster in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Offshore-Onshore Technologies Association Nova Scotia (OTANS) The Maritime Energy Association: Representing more than 300 companies, OTANS is an industry driven organization that also has members in the onshore petroleum and renewable energy sectors. These member companies encompass the entire supply chain from engineering and fabrication to environmental services, marine, aviation, subsea and beyond.