FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — On Thursday, WANE 15 sat down with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to discuss his economic development trip to Brazil and Mexico, as well as the recent passing of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry.

Gov. Holcomb left for Brazil and Mexico April 12 in order to “cultivate innovation and growth of the agbioscience and agricultural economy” between Indiana and the two countries.

According to the State of Indiana, state trade between Brazil and Mexico topped $1.7 billion and $13.4 billion in 2023, respectively, and the Hoosier State is home to 14 Brazil-based and 13 Mexico-based businesses.

 

In Brazil, Gov. Holcomb met with government representatives, including U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Elizabeth Bagley, to discuss ways to grow Indiana’s engagement with Brazil.

During his time in Mexico, Gov. Holcomb met with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and Mexican Secretary of Economy Raquel Buenrostro to explore opportunities to increase trade, advance innovation and grow two-way investment across agriculture and other economic industries.

Below is a full transcript of the interview, which has been slightly edited for clarity:

1. What was your biggest takeaway from the trip?

“Cultivating these relationships is of paramount importance for a state like Indiana, to not just compete in this global economy, but to win and to win together with our partners, be it in Brazil or Mexico or name the place. We obviously are three powerhouse ag states and countries: Brazil, Mexico and Indiana. But we’re also partners in various manufacturing and advanced manufacturing endeavors and projects as well, and the world is just quite frankly run by those who show up. And it’s not just respected when you do sit face to face across the table, or have dinner with someone that you’re courting or wooing. It’s not just respected, it’s expected in today’s world, and so I’m just reminded that it’s not by coincidence that we have over 1,000 international companies in Indiana growing roots that have a relationship with their home country, that the two-way trade grows because of the relations. And so, you know, we came here with some prospects in mind. We came here seeking to make some progress on some projects that we were already working on. And we hoped that there would be some new possibilities in the mix and check, check, check. We’re coming back with all three with some homework to do, but hopefully at the tail end of those will be some good news to share. And that means not just investment. It means growth and opportunity, because we’re working together.”

2. What is the importance of bringing international companies to Indiana?

“I’ll tell you, I’ve heard on two different occasions from folks sitting across the table, that one day, who we’re working with … the next day, they may be our competition, and the next day they may be our clients again. And so that’s how small the world is. We literally have Hoosier, you know, turkey producers who are sending products down to Mexico, and duck, etc., but we’re also importing in America a lot of fruits and vegetables, like a lot. And so having that relationship means [there is] two-way trade, and the research that’s being done in America or in Indiana at Purdue or IU or Notre Dame or AgriNovus or the Corn and Soybean association, you fill in the blank, that can be shared to grow together. That only happens if you know each other, so you know, I think we’re past the days of just simple transactions. I think you have to have a high level of trust [and] awareness of who you’re doing business with, and be able to predict how they’ll be in the future. And these trips just remind me — I’ve been on 22 international trips now to a lot more countries, we did six countries in six days in Europe, one trip — and I’m just going to continue to do it not just because of the 1,050 international companies that are there now. And there’s some big ones, then there’s some small ones. You think of Toyota, Honda, Subaru, [and] Stellantis for known companies. But, there’s also the shrimp farmer, who we talked to today in Mexico City, who established their North American headquarters [and] distribution center in Indianapolis, Indiana, and they want to go global. So they can produce this high protein shrimp anywhere in the world. And when you think about just all the innovation, all the research that goes into that, I’m really proud of how we’ve aligned our state government or private sector, be it small, medium and large businesses, to mature these supply chains and business connections, so that again, we can all grow together.”

3. How does Indiana balance importing and exporting products with other countries?

“Well, it’s very layered. And at first, you just think we’re selling grain or seed or livestock, but the whole value chain starts, you know, at the very beginning and how we make seeds more resilient, how they can grow where there’s not as much water in other places. The lot of that technology is developed in companies, like whether it’s at Beck’s or Inari in West Lafayette, or Corteva. And that information is then obviously shared globally. Likewise, there in Mexico and in Brazil, when you think about going from low tech to high tech, precision farming or agricultural bioscience, or biotech, this is where you know it is part of that give and take different years. What do you need in the seed? What kind of seeds do you need? Is it for feed? You know, so some of that soy? Or are you producing white corn or sweet corn? There’s different products for different end users and livestock needs a lot of what we grow in addition to the livestock that we grow… Companies can also add value doing different things, you know, companies like Maple Leaf [Farms] or Farbest turkey they’ve got these global supply chains. And again, one day they may be selling to the same people but the other day they’re each other’s clients. And so as they grow, to feed or fuel the world, you have to be able to adapt to the issues and the factors on the ground, whether it be in Latin America, or North America, Asia, Europe, lots of different factors, and we really need each other. When I was in Brazil and Mexico in this last week, the world needs our bread baskets, the world needs our food and fuel. And there’s plenty of new markets out there for both of us to continue to grow, but there is a relationship that we need each other and fortunately, as you see supply chains move across the world, be it maybe from hotspots in the world, to Canada, America, Mexico, that serves to our advantage in terms of stability and certainty, predictability, continuity for the marketplace. And so I’ll spend as much time as I need to down here, knowing that it’s going to have a very positive impact at home.”

4. What are your thoughts on the recent passing of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry?

“I continue to think about him. He was a giant in so many ways: [a] consummate gentleman, professional as the day was long, always someone who I looked forward to talking with about the issues of the day that were happening on the ground in the city, in a state that he loved so much. And so, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana was blessed, more than fortunate, but blessed to have had his hand on the wheel as long as we had it. And I’ll just continue to keep his large family in my thoughts and prayers. Because they meant so much to the growth of, again, not just the northeast quadrant of our state, but to the state as a whole. Northeastern Indiana is an engine and Fort Wayne is a major hub, and that takes leadership. That just that doesn’t happen by accident, and Mayor Henry was always someone that I could meet with at events or meet with to do business, but then we could squirrel away and have a few [laughs] as well. And so I’m gonna miss him for as long as I’m walking this Earth. I’m gonna miss him, but we’ll always consider ourselves very fortunate that he and his wife — a true team — led Fort Wayne for so many years.”