Automation Alley Announces Trade Mission Participants

TROY, Mich., Oct. 13, 2005 -- The Automation Alley International Business Center (IBC) has announced the five companies that will participate in the upcoming trade mission to Central & Eastern Europe, scheduled for October 16-26, 2005.

"Participants will have a unique opportunity to visit with interested companies in the dynamic markets of Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic," said Hayes Jones, director of the IBC. "With foreign investment in Central and Eastern Europe reaching $36 million in 2004, the trade mission offers participants the ability to enter the market at a prime time, and to make the right connections to begin exporting to these markets for the first time, or to expand existing sales. With the help of U.S. Commercial Service Offices in Pontiac, Bratislava, Prague, Warsaw, and Budapest, we've been able to identify the best foreign partners in order for our businesses to achieve maximum success."

The participating companies include:

* Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority (Detroit); freight transportation and distribution hub for U.S. Midwest and Southwest Ontario businesses

* K & F Electronics (Fraser); manufacturer of printed circuit boards

* Global Manufacturing Alliance (Troy); specializing in the design, manufacturing and integration of automotive assembly systems for vehicle closure panels, body structural components, and vehicle side panels

* Plante & Moran (Auburn Hills); certified public accounting and business advisory firm

* VIA Information Technologies (Troy); software and professional services company that specializes in building commercial application software

"Previous missions to China, Germany and Mexico have garnered more than $23 million in contracts for area companies, several letters of intent and numerous new hires," said Jones. "We expect to see great results out of this mission as well."

For more information on the trade mission, contact Hayes Jones at (248) 457-3200 or jonesh@automationalley.com .

About Automation Alley

Automation Alley drives the growth and image of Southeast Michigan's technology economy through a collaborative culture that focuses on workforce and business development initiatives.

More than 580 businesses, educational institutions and government entities belong to Automation Alley, covering an eight county area and the City of Detroit. Automation Alley promotes regional prosperity through the Automation Alley International Business Center, which provides business attraction services and exporting assistance; the Automation Alley Technology Center, which brings together businesses, educators and government to help entrepreneurs accelerate technology commercialization; and the GLIMA Network, one of the country's largest associations for individuals involved in the business of technology and related fields.

For more information, visit http://www.automationalley.com/ .