Derry is hosting a senior American trade delegation today, as AwakenHub, in partnership with Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, is bringing together U.S. and local business leaders at the Guildhall to support North West companies in accessing the U.S. market and attracting Ohio-based investment into the region.
The delegation includes U.S. Consul General to Northern Ireland James Applegate, alongside representatives from the City of Mentor, Ohio, and Team NEO, the regional economic development organisation for Northeast Ohio. The visit also carries a strong local connection through Mark Owens, Vice-President of Marketing at Team NEO, who is a Derry native and Ireland’s first Honorary Consul to Ohio since 2023.
The city was included on the delegation’s itinerary following recent meetings in the U.S. between AwakenHub and AwakenAngels CEO, Clare McGee, and Team NEO representatives.
At today’s Guildhall reception, hosted by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairí McHugh, and attended by business leaders, investors, researchers, and policymakers, delegates will outline how Northeast Ohio provides a soft-landing route for companies seeking to enter the U.S. market. The region offers strengths in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, polymers, and emerging technologies, alongside access to well-known institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University.
As well as the expansion prospects available stateside, local businessman Philip O'Doherty, founder of Derry-based E&I Engineering, which was acquired in 2021 by Ohio-based Vertiv Holdings, will highlight the opportunities open to the region through direct investment by Ohio-based businesses. Following the Guildhall event, delegates will meet with Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald and local academics at NWRC. Additional stops on the delegation's Irish itinerary also include Ulster University and C-TRIC.
Speaking about the delegation’s arrival, Clare McGee, CEO of AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, said: “As part of AwakenHub’s ongoing engagements in the U.S. it was clear that increased collaboration between the North West and North East Ohio will offer real two-way economic opportunities for both regions. We extended the invitation and are delighted that the City of Mentor, Ohio, and Team NEO accepted and are here with us in Derry today.
“The success of Philip O’Doherty and E&I Engineering, now Vertiv, has highlighted the growing appetite among major Ohio businesses to invest here, and also points to the opportunities for NW-based companies to access the US market with the support of partners like the City of Mentor and Team NEO.
“For AwakenHub and all our founders, this visit marks the start of a real shift from potential to pipeline for the NW region. In working alongside partners including Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, NWRC, Ulster University, and Derry and Strabane District Council, we are focused on turning the conversations that will be had here today into jobs, new opportunities for local companies, and lasting economic impact for the North West and beyond.”
Speaking about the delegation’s visit, Mark Owens, VP of Marketing, Team NEO, and Honorary Consul of Ireland for Ohio, added: “I’d like to thank Clare McGee and the team at AwakenHub, and all their partners, for helping to make this visit to Derry happen. As someone who comes from the city, it is fantastic to see the vibrancy and breadth of companies here today, and how closely they align with the key sectors driving growth in Northeast Ohio.
“NEO is one of the most vibrant and important gateways for business in the United States. We have institutional depth and sector expertise, and we’re delighted to be in Derry to reinforce to companies here that NE Ohio is genuinely open for business."
