McAuliffe touts benefits of 6-nation European trip

PARIS (AP) — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is set to return Friday from a six-country European tour designed to bring foreign investment to Virginia.

The 11-day trip was schedule to include 70 different meetings and will cost taxpayers more than $176,000, officials estimate. McAuliffe, who has made economic development his top priority as governor, said the expenditure is well worth the cost.

The governor's office has already announced two major deals. German discount supermarket chain Lidl will build its U.S. headquarters and a separate distribution center in Virginia, creating 700 jobs. And the Wales-based parent company of Elephant Auto Insurance announced a $2 million investment to expand its U.S. headquarters in Henrico County and create 1,173 jobs.

McAuliffe spoke with The Associated Press at the Paris Air Show Tuesday:

Q: Is this useful for getting business for Virginia.

A: "No ifs, ands or buts about it ... I'm not in the business of telling other governors what to do in terms of economic development, but ... if I were governor, I would not miss an opportunity like this to meet all these CEOs."

Q: Does it have to be the governor heading the delegation? Why not just economic development officials?

A: "Our economic development teams would have a very hard time in getting the meetings ... But when it's a governor, you can get pretty much get into any meeting you want. So, I think it's important that the chief executive of the state come, to be able to get any meeting you want. I mean you can meet with the chairman, president and CEO of the companies, which is what we have been able to do."

Q: Budget for this trip: where is the money coming from?

A: "It's all state funding. You don't bring private in, it's all state... That can get a little complicated when you have private paying for public things. We paid for it. It's a great return on your investment... To be honest with you, we wouldn't have gotten these deals unless they can sit and look at me eyeball to eyeball... These trips are the way you close deals."

Q: Many constituents want to know how public money is being spent on these trips? Is this money really bringing something in for the state?

A: "Not even a close call ... This is all work. There's no, like, sightseeing. It is morning to night. And if it wasn't worthwhile — I come from a business background — I wouldn't do it.... I can go and sit down and have lunch with Jim McNerney, the CEO of Boeing. I can then go and just have lunch with the head of Lockheed, which I just did. Trying to put that together in America would be virtually impossible, or would take forever. Here you can get it done, and you get your 15 minutes to get in and make your case ... and hopefully you're fruitful doing it. And we've been very successful in making these points."

Source: McAuliffe touts benefits of 6-nation European trip