Global Atlanta.com
by: Trevor Williams

Peter Underwood enjoyed a rare treat during a trip to Georgia Feb. 26.

When the director of the state’s South Korea trade office attended the grand opening of Kia Motors‘ West Point automotive factory, he saw the harvest of a seed he helped plant.

Mr. Underwood, who calls his office the “big end of the funnel” for Georgia’s Korean recruitment efforts, seldom sees the final fruits of projects he points to the state.

“It’s not often we get to see the final results,” he told GlobalAtlanta. “It was very nice to be able to be here at the end.”

Mr. Underwood has been working for Georgia in Korea since 1985. Using personal relationships, investment seminars and news reports, he finds companies looking to expand in the U.S. He pitches Georgia and evaluates whether the company’s needs mesh with the state’s advantages. If it seems like a good fit, he passes the project along to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which has local personnel to see it through.

find the rest of the article here: http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/23785