Obama Administration to Showcase America as Premier Destination for Investors at Investment Summit

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will join Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker at the 2015 SelectUSA Investment Summit on March 23-24 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, just outside Washington, D.C. 

“Our goal at the SelectUSA Summit is to promote the United States as the premier destination for international investment and ensure that companies worldwide know America is open for business,” said Secretary Pritzker. “There has never been a better time to establish or expand operations in the United States, and we are undertaking an Administration-wide effort to bring new job-creating investment to the U.S. that will generate economic growth for years to come.”

Additional high-ranking White House officials include Jeff Zients, Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; Megan Smith, Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to the President; and Caroline Atkinson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics. 

To date, more than 2,100 people from nearly 80 countries have registered for the Summit, and more than 30 U.S. ambassadors are personally leading delegations. The inaugural 2013 SelectUSA Investment Summit attracted more than 1,300 participants including investors from 60 countries. President Obama addressed the first summit, along with senior administration officials and 64 top public and private-sector representatives. 

Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays a critical role in the U.S. economy, which is why President Obama launched SelectUSA, the first-ever U.S. government-wide initiative to promote and facilitate investment in the United States. Through 2014, SelectUSA helped generate more than $20 billion of investments, creating jobs and spurring economic growth. In 2014, 5.8 million people in the United States were employed by U.S. subsidiaries of foreign firms. 

About SelectUSA: Housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investors. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps investors find the information they need to make decisions; connect them to the right people at the local level; navigate the federal regulatory system; and find solutions to issues related to the federal government. For more information, visit www.selectusa.gov. 

To learn more about the SelectUSA Summit, visit www.selectusa.gov. Journalists can register by clicking the “Media Registration” button.