Gail Morris is the new advocate for Georgia companies wanting to expand into Canada and for Canadian businesses looking to invest here.

She is the state of Georgia's Canadian trade representative, based in Toronto. She will be working full time for Georgia and will not have other clients.

"I see myself as a trade facilitator, a matchmaker," she told GlobalAtlanta in a telephone interview Wednesday during her second week on the job.

Companies interested in expanding into Canada should first contact the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which will gauge whether the business is ready to export to Canada.

If Canada is deemed a good fit, the company would be referred to Ms. Morris.

She would start by answering questions the company might have on Canadian regulations and putting executives in touch with the appropriate government agencies. Next, she would study the market for the company's products and compiling a list of potential customers. She would then promote the products or services at trade conferences.

"There's a lot of going back and forth as this process evolves," she said. "Eventually, ideally, we'd like to have the company come here for five or six appointments. After those five or six appointments, a relationship has been struck. From there, the exports begin."

Canada is currently Georgia's top export market, with $4.1 billion in goods and services going there in 2009. 

While representing the state of Illinois in Canada, Ms. Morris helped a company selling calcium phosphate, which is used in fertilizer, export to Canada. 

"I set them up with trade shows and introduced them to different distributors and partners," she said. "There weren't a lot of large companies we were working on. There were a lot smaller companies that were very successful."

She will also assist Canadian companies that are interested in investing in the U.S., and promote Georgia as a tourist destination.

Ms. Morris sees agriculture, manufacturing, biotechnology and bioenergy as promising areas for increasing trade.

Georgia exports to Canada could get a boost from the drop in the value of the U.S. dollar, which is now trading below the Canadian dollar, Ms. Morris said. That makes U.S. products cheaper for Canadians to buy. "That will be a positive for me to work with," she said.

A native of eastern coastal province of New Brunswick, Ms. Morris speaks both French and English. After college, she moved to Toronto where she eventually started working for Livingston International, a North American customs brokerage and logistics service. She then worked for Trade Partners, a consulting firm of three women who helped set up trade missions for companies interested in expanding to Canada. 

The fact that Georgia will be her only client will give her and Georgia an edge in Canada, Ms. Morris said.

"I do really look forward to that," she said. "I look forward to focusing on one state and being able to focus on different product lines. I think the value for me is that I get to know everyone very well."

For more on the Georgia Department of Economic Development, click here. 

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