Carson City City Manager Nick Marano to pay own way to Europe on NNDA trip

Gov. Brian Sandoval and Rob Hooper of the Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA) will be joined by Nick Marano, Carson City’s city manager, and others from the Sierra Region on a European trade mission.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) also will be sending representatives on the trip to England, Ireland, Germany and Poland. Marano was particularly focused on one country in advance of the trek.

“The most important part for Carson City is when we get to Poland,” Marano said Thursday. He said he will be meeting with officials from Lublin, Poland-based firms who have already visited Nevada’s capital and shown interest in locating here. He said the two firms are involved in aerospace and technology, one a software firm and the other a company making parts for drones, which also are called unmanned aerial vehicles.

Marano said he was going on his own dime rather than using taxpayer funds to join the trip.

The trip is set to begin Monday, It’s focused on building international awareness of Nevada’s economic opportunities and creating synergies between the Silver State and Europe, according to Hooper, NNDA executive director.

“Many of the areas we will be visiting have economies that are growing similar to Northern Nevada,” Hooper said. “Our goal is to establish relationships with companies and officials in order to position the Sierra Region as a destination for foreign investment and expansion into the U.S. marketplace. In addition, we hope those relationships can be used to establish European operations for Nevada companies looking to expand internationally.”

Nevada is an ideal location for European companies to locate their United States operations because of a favorable business climate, lower start-up costs and a lower cost of living than California, according to an NNDA news release detailing the trip, as well as due to the state’s central proximity to the entire western United States.

Companies expanding to the Sierra Region can service the California market without the hassle of California taxes and regulations, according to the Carson City-based NNDA. GOED officials also weighed in.

“International trade missions play an important role in not only communicating important Nevada initiatives to an overseas audience, but also connecting our research institutions and business community to opportunities in other countries,” said Kris Sanchez, director of International Trade for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

“By engaging in strategic partnerships abroad, the state can increase foreign direct investment back to Nevada, enhance export sales, and establish diplomatic relationships that will enhance economic development opportunities in the years to come,” he said. Sanchez credited NNDA with being an important component of the Nevada Delegation on several Governor-led trade missions over the past two years.

He said NNDA also will play an integral role in helping ensure success of the mission that begins Monday. In addition to NNDA, the Sierra Region will be represented by Marano from Carson City; Mike Jackson, board president of NNDA and President of Micromanipulator, a high-tech manufacturer in Carson City; and Kaushal Chokshi, president of Scaale Inc., which recently established Scaale Carson City, a globalization support business.