US trade delegation visits Swindon

A trade delegation from the US city of Mentor in Ohio visited Swindon yesterday.

The visit was part of a city initiative to explore an economic and civic relationship with Swindon.

Industrial links already existed between Mentor and the town as a result of the recent reverse merger by one of Mentor’s largest healthcare employers, Steris, which acquired Synergy Health, based in Swindon, with a consequent relocation of Steris’ legal HQ to the UK.

The city of Mentor was represented by Kenneth J. Filipiak, city manager, Kim Holizna, the city’s international economic development officer, as well as Ray Kirchner, president of Mentor City Council.

The visitors met representatives of Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Council and Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Isobel Brown, director of SWLEP, said: “It was wonderful to meet the delegation from Mentor and introduce them to some of the exciting developments taking place in the economy of Swindon and Wiltshire.

“But we also learned a lot from our visitors – Mentor has established a robust infrastructure that has attracted diverse industries in what was once a rural farming community.

“Today the city is home to a number of high-tech firms specialising in everything from aerospace to medical device design and manufacturing.”