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Companies in the News
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Georgia’s Japanese Companies Display Products at Annual Festival
JapanFest has drawn thousands of attendees to metro Atlanta for the past 22 years to experience Japanese culture. The JapanFest Web site says the event typical attracts about 18,500 people. It is organized by the Japan America Society of Georgia, the Japanese-American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and the Atlanta-based Consulate General of Japan for the Southeast. Japanese companies that manufacture ice machines, tractors, electrical components and engines in Georgia used the venue to build further awareness about their contributions to the state’s economy, said Yoshi Domoto, executive director of the Japan America Society. Exhibitors included Hoshizaki America Inc., tractor manufacturer Kubota Manufacturing of America Corp., Murata Electronics North America Inc., TDK Components USA Inc., TOTO U.S.A. Inc., Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. of America and Yanmar America Corp. Other companies showcased their products in a vendor area. More than 350 Japanese companies have operations in Georgia. Japan is the state’s top foreign investor, injecting $5.7 billion into the economy in 2006, according to a Georgia Department of Economic Development fact sheet. Although most in the business community know of the strong Japanese influence in Georgia, more awareness creates more opportunity for these companies and their American customers, Mr. Domoto said. While in past years the state has increasingly focused on building trade with Brazil, China and India and other emerging markets, trade with Japan has also remained healthy. Exports there increased 10 percent in 2007. “Japan’s always been there and I think it’ll always be there because of the products that come from Japan and the quality of workers in Japan,” Mr. Domoto told GlobalAtlanta. He said that motorists’ inability to refuel on gas hurt JapanFest attendance a little, but even with fewer people and the current economic angst, sales at vendor booths remained pretty steady. Mr. Domoto has helped organize JapanFest for the past four years. He moved to Atlanta in 1999 and has been executive director of the Japan America Society of Georgia since April. Visit www.jasgeorgia.org.
High’s Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit Breaks Advance Sales Record
The “First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army” exhibit runs through April 18, 2009, and features 15 original warriors buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang 2,200 years ago. Other parts of the exhibit include artifacts from his tomb and works inspired by its discovery in 1974. The items were previously on display at the British Museum in London and sold out every time slot, drawing more than 850,000 visitors between last September and April 2008. The exhibit is sponsored locally by United Parcel Service Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Click here for more information. advertisement
Triarc, Wendy’s Seal Merger Deal In a deal that created the third-largest fast-food company in the U.S., Triarc Cos. Inc. completed its acquisition of Wendy’s International Inc. on Sept 29. Triarc is a holding company that owns Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. and franchises Arby’s restaurants. The new company is called Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. and has more than 10,000 restaurant locations in 21 countries. It combines the third-largest burger chain, Wendy’s, with the second-largest quick service chain in the sandwich category, Arby’s. The all-stock transaction is valued at nearly $2.4 billion. Wendy’s/Arby’s now trails only McDonald’s Corp. and Yum Brands Inc., the operator of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, in annual system-wide sales. Wendy’s/Arby’s Group will have a support center in Atlanta to handle all shared functions, but the companies will continue to operate separately. Wendy’s will retain its headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, and Arby’s will remain in Atlanta. At the completion of the merger, Triarc’s board officially grew from 11 to 12 members. For more information, click here for a previous GlobalAtlanta article.
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Electronics Distributor Opens Malaysia Office Roswell-based electronics distributor World Micro Inc. is opening an office in Penang, Malaysia. The company supplies electronic components including circuitry, memory, plugs, switches, power adapters and display screens to retail centers in Asia, Europe and North America. The new office is to serve customers in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Jason Murphy, World Micro’s vice president of business development, said manufacturers are moving to the region because of low costs, and the company’s presence there will provide better service to its clients. World Micro has named Megela Ganeeson executive vice president and general manager of the facility, which is to add about a half-dozen staff members over the next two years. The company also has offices in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Visit www.worldmicro.com.
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