Sunday night in Washington, D.C., Shale Crescent USA President Nathan Lord, my wife Lynnda and I had dinner with friends we met on our Turkish road trip in February.

Kaan, the project manager, brought his CEO on the trip. Kaan and I have visited weekly via Zoom. He taught Lynnda how to use the Turkish teapot she bought to make Turkish tea. It is really two pots.

In Turkiye, (the correct name for Turkey) we learned business meetings are longer than in the USA and focused first on relationships. National Speakers Association Hall of Fame speaker and sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer says, “If they know you, like you and trust you, they may buy from you.” The Turks may not know Gitomer, but this is the Turkish way.

Typical of our three business meetings when we were in Turkiye, the Sunday night dinner in Washington lasted over three hours. Not much of our conversation was on business topics. We learned about each other. The CEO has a long history in business and is involved with several Turkish business groups. He started a technical school and has even met with the president of Turkiye. The CEO said he does business with people he can trust.

True friends are trustworthy. We would never do them wrong. Kaan and his CEO visited sites in West Virginia over the weekend before coming to Washington and SelectUSA. They met with state people from Ohio and West Virginia at SelectUSA. Their manufacturing project will create over 200 jobs. The Turks’ focus is on people first. They are looking for a small town where they can make a difference. After attending the Plastics News Executive Conference, I noticed the Best Places to Work awardees also were among the best financial performers. A thought for any business.

The Shale Crescent USA marketing team (Nathan, Lynnda, and I) just returned from another successful SelectUSA Conference and Exhibition in Washington. U.S. Commercial Services, part of the Commerce Department, promotes the event to industry in each country and approves the companies attending. They do an incredible job of bringing prospects to the USA for the states, economic development organizations (like Shale Crescent USA) and contractors to meet. Attendees from all over the world have access to all 50 states, U.S. territories and the Shale Crescent USA.

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia all had large, elaborate booths well placed to attract traffic. Over 5,000 people attended. All three states were busy with prospects whenever I saw them. They made time to meet with each of the leads we brought them. The states deliver incentive packages, help with sites and assist with permits. Shale Crescent USA’s research and hard data help companies justify coming to the region. The Shale Crescent team is always available to connect them with suppliers, contractors and bankers and help in other ways with their U.S. expansion.

Americans sometimes take for granted the benefits of being in the United States. Companies come to the USA to sell into our large consumer market, security and regulatory certainty. The Iran war has increased security and energy concerns. Manufacturers want relief from high energy prices in their home countries. They know the USA has cheap abundant energy. Most assume the energy is in Texas. They are surprised to find our region produces over one-third of the USA’s natural gas. Only the rest of the USA and Russia produce more natural gas than the Shale Crescent USA.

Demand for electricity is increasing. The three states in the Shale Crescent USA are energy exporters. The rest of the eastern U.S. states are energy importers. Virginia imports more energy than any state in the country. Our message to companies considering places like North Carolina is that their electricity and or the energy to produce their own electricity comes from the Shale Crescent USA at an increased price. Companies gain a competitive cost and dependability advantage if they locate where their energy or fuel is produced.

World oil prices have skyrocketed to $100 a barrel and are volatile. The equivalent amount of energy from natural gas in Shale Crescent USA costs a stable $16 because it is a regional commodity.

Prior to dinner with our Turkish friends on Sunday, Lynnda and I met with friends from Finland. The CEO and his team were at SelectUSA last year and opened a U.S. headquarters and sales office near Cincinnati. They did their marketing and have grown their U.S. customers to where they are looking for a site to begin U.S. manufacturing. They are a delightful organization. We communicate routinely and follow them on Facebook.

On Monday, the U.S. consul general in Istanbul, who we met at the road show in Turkiye, led the Turkish delegation to our booth. We renewed acquaintances with people we met in Turkiye and met other companies for the first time. Turkish manufacturers are interested in expanding into the U.S. market. We had several productive meetings.

Two French companies we met on our road show to France in 2024 came to our booth. They are looking at the Shale Crescent USA region for expansion. Economic development is not a sprint, like selling glassware. It is a marathon sometimes requiring years to make a final investment decision. The Finns and many of the Turkish companies we work with have a shorter time frame. Some want to be operational in the USA by 2028. We stayed in regular contact with both French companies. They read our weekly newspaper articles. It was good to see them again. They remember us. Relationships are important in business. Contacts can become friendships with people we enjoy being with.

We are reviewing our contacts and notes from last week’s meetings at SelectUSA. The real work is just starting. Followup makes the difference between success and failure. New prospects will be shared with the states. We are scheduling video follow up meetings. Our region has much to offer foreign investors who create high-wage jobs.

***

Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is director of marketing for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and more than 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker and author of four books and many published articles.