The British American Business Council (BABC), an organization with a mission to stimulate commerce between the United States and the United Kingdom, has launched its Triangle/Eastern N.C. Chapter. The Council hosted North Carolina government and business leaders, as well as potential members at an introductory event at the North Carolina State Capitol on Oct. 3, with speakers including N.C. Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco, British Consul-General Annabelle Malins and BABC Triangle Chapter President Steve Cain. Presiding over the launch was Sally Webb, CEO of The Special Event Company.

“Our aim at the North Carolina Department of Commerce is to promote economic development in order to keep our state competitive and thriving,” said Secretary Crisco. “The creation of the British American Business Council’s local chapter speaks to this goal, as they will now play a critical role to foster bilateral trade and investment with the U.K. Best of luck to the chapter’s executive team and members as they launch in the Triangle and Eastern regions of North Carolina.”

The BABC was founded in 1954 and has since grown to more than 25 chapters nationwide. Acting as a liaison between American and British businesses, the organization has a roster of more than 3,000 member companies, and is strongly linked to America’s local and federal government, as well as the British Embassy and U.K. market.

“The US and the UK have a long standing history of shared traditions, values and friendship,” said Consul-General Malins. “In today’s increasingly interconnected global market, trans-Atlantic ties, stemming from trade and investment, have opened doors for breakthrough ventures. We two nations are growing as partners in commerce, ground breaking scientific operations and economic growth.”

“This region has become one of the fastest growing areas in the country with industries including technology, education, agribusiness, tourism, film, aerospace, life sciences, medicine, energy, commerce and defense,” said Cain. “Bridging these distinct sectors will require targeted collaborations. We have established the Triangle chapter of the BABC to help address that need.”

The BABC serves as a business catalyst, providing international networking opportunities and cross-industry knowledge sharing. Educational events sponsored by the organization help British and American companies share ideas and foster long-term business relationships. Research and post-graduate studies supported by the BABC relationships will help British-American trade develop innovative market strategies and complementary international goals.

ABOUT THE BRITISH AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL:

The British American Business Council is the largest transatlantic business network, with 25 chapters and 3,000 member companies, including many of the world’s largest multinationals based in major business centers throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Companies can gain access to the benefits of membership in this network by joining one of the BABC’s chapters, all of which are independent British-American business organizations that participate in the BABC to provide their member companies with a broader transatlantic business network and additional member benefits, including marketing, networking and business intelligence opportunities. For more information, visit https://trianglebabcnc.org or http://www.babc.org.