Mayor Wayne Stetski, Coun. Diana J. Scott and economic development officer Kevin Weaver recently returned from a trip to Korea and China to foster economic ties.
They were also joined by Nick Rubidge, College of the Rockies President, Patricia Boran, Dean of International Studies, and Creston Mayor Ron Toyota.
The nine-day trip included tours of various areas and businesses in Taicang, China and Wonju, Korea.
Coun. Diana J. Scott said the trip was incredible.
"I'm really excited about all the opportunities it's going to bring," Scott said. "We have to seriously get down to work to make them happen, because they're there."
Scott said the Chinese and Koreans that they met want to work with Cranbrook in business, tourism, education and innovation.
She said they had a lot of business meetings, and visited colleges and universities.
One of the universities that stood out for Scott specializes in medical health.
“That type of industry is something that maybe we could bring over here,” she said.
Scott said that Taicang has an industrial park, but is embarking on a new innovation park concept.
“They are looking at doing business with communications, the internet, marketing... anything that’s a green business,” she said. “They’ve already asked what kinds of companies are doing this sort of thing in Cranbrook, and can you match us up?”
She said both Wonju and Taicang were quite similar to Cranbrook and she could imagine something like that being set up if an airport industrial park is ever completed.
“Wonju, Korea wants to be the garden city, they are really into community gardening and urban planning, green that way, food green agriculture,” she said. “China was more sort of business green, with inventions, medical health and that kind of green technology.”
She said one thing that really stuck out there is the high standard for service in restaurants and other services.
“Every kind of service is gold standard, platinum standard,” she said. “That’s the other thing I think this area needs to work on. I don’t want to be negative, but when you bring people in you have to give people a great experience.”
Scott also noted that Cranbrook only paid for the three city delegates’ plane tickets for the trip.
Some of the Chinese contingent will be coming to tour the area in November.