The Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced it will open a chapter in Atlanta to attract Spanish companies to invest in the Southeast, according to Jose Ignacio Gonzalez, partner at Hemisphere Trade Services Inc.

The chamber, which is based in New York, has some 400 corporate members that are Spanish companies doing business in the United States. It is planning to expand its reach by opening a network of chapters throughout the country, and Atlanta is to be one of them, Mr. Gonzalez told GlobalAtlanta.

The agreement was made when Hemisphere Trade Services invited the chamber’s executive director, Bisila Bokoko, to attend the inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum June 11-12.

One of the chamber’s members, Spanish telecommunications firm Telefonica S.A., was a sponsor of the forum.

“[Ms. Bokoko] had a very good impression of the dynamic private sector in Atlanta during the forum. Now we’re looking to move into making the Atlanta chapter a reality within the next couple of months,” Mr. Gonzalez said.

The chamber will initially be located in the offices of Hemisphere Trade Services, an international business development firm that focuses on building trade and investment relationships among Georgia, Spain and Latin America. The Spain-U.S. Chamber’s Atlanta staff will likely be locally hired, Mr. Gonzalez added.

The Americas Competitiveness Forum was a good introduction to Atlanta for the chamber, but Hemisphere Trade Services started working on building a relationship with the chamber beforehand, he added.

He said that his organization learned some six months ago from Jorge Fernandez, vice president of global commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, that Spain was looking to expand its consulates in the U.S.

He and an Atlanta delegation subsequently met with the Spanish ambassador in Washington who confirmed that Atlanta was one city that was pre-selected for a Spanish Consulate General. Atlanta currently has an honorary vice consul, Ignacio Taboada.

“Looking to add synergy to the potential presence of a consulate here, we wanted to add value by creating a commercial presence such as a chamber of commerce,” Mr. Gonzalez said.

So, Hemisphere Trade Services consulted with Michael Peck, principal and founder of Mapa Inc., a Washington-based firm that promotes business between the U.S. and Spain and Latin America.

Mr. Peck, who has worked closely with Atlanta organizations to develop business ties to Spain and Latin America, had a strong relationship with the Spain-U.S. Chamber in New York and introduced Mr. Gonzalez to Ms. Bokoko.

The chamber is also expected to open a chapter in Washington with the help of Mapa Inc.

“The chamber is an interesting one because it deals in a very direct way with the private sector in Spain. It is not like most bilateral chambers in the U.S. that are for local companies. This chamber is for Spanish companies interested in doing business in the U.S.,” Mr. Gonzalez said.

The chamber is not a trade office of the Spanish government, and the Atlanta chapter will not be affiliated with a future Spanish Consulate General. The nonprofit, private industry chapter will work to draw potential investment from Spain.

The chamber will host seminars, business meetings and networking events, offer business assistance services and place Spanish interns and professionals in U.S. company training programs. Ms. Bokoko will return to Atlanta in July to finalize plans for its opening.

The New York-based chamber was founded in 1959 to promote business ties between the U.S. and Spain.

Hemisphere Trade Services was formed last year as a partnership between Mr. Gonzalez, former executive director of Hemisphere Inc., the public-private partnership that promoted Atlanta as a business hub for the Americas, and Denning Robinson of GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group, a local lobbying organization. HTS has an affiliation with Trip Martin, founding partner of GeorgiaLink, and Mr. Peck.

Mr. Gonzalez is also executive chairman of CIFAL Atlanta, a branch of the United Nations that was a main organizer of the Americas Competitiveness Forum.

CIFAL was looking to host the forum when Hemisphere Inc. was still functioning. Hemisphere Inc. closed last year, but it played a role in courting the U.S. Department of Commerce officials who made the decision to hold the forum in Atlanta, Mr. Gonzalez said.

CIFAL coordinated the logistics of the forum, and Hemisphere Trade Services, under the direction of Ms. Robinson, led the fundraising and sponsorship campaign for the event.