New Tecumseth CAO explores business opportunities in Japan

New Tecumseth CAO Neil Garbe (L) and Economic Development Manager Jasmine Danial (R) at the Canadian Embassy in Japan. (Town of New Tecumseth)

Staff from New Tecumseth are visiting Japan in hopes of bringing business to town in the future.

According to a social media post from New Tecumseth the town’s chief administrative officer, Neil Garbe and economic development manager, Jasmine Danial, are in Japan as part of a regional trade mission with the County Of Simcoe.

The team of staff members from Simcoe municipalities left on May 25 and are scheduled for five days of meetings, site visits and events.

The delegation will be visiting some of Japan’s most notable auto industry hubs, like Tokyo, Aichi and Saitama.

In their time, town staff members are expected to meet with government officials and trade representatives in Tokyo. Delegates are also scheduled for visits and executive meetings with major employers, including FTech (parent company of F&P), HOWA, Honda and Nissin.

“This trip is critical to protecting and growing local jobs and investment in New Tecumseth and the broader Simcoe region,” the Town said in a statement to CTV News.

“With increasing pressures in the global automotive sector, including tariff challenges, supply chain shifts, and recent uncertainty around major investments, direct engagement with corporate decision-makers helps reinforce the community’s value as a reliable and competitive place to do business,” the statement said.

According to New Tecumseth, Japanese-owned companies currently supply over 6,000 direct jobs locally and more than 30,000 across the region.