Tinian’s Mendiola-Long selected as APEC delegate for US

Mendiola-Long

The CNMI’s own Phillip Mendiola-Long has been selected as one of only 25 U.S. delegates chosen from across the nation to represent small and medium sized enterprises at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO and SME Summits being held in Manila, Philippines on Nov. 16-20.

The APEC is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies, including the United States, that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. delegation will be led by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews and U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency National Director Alejandra Castillo.

Initiated by the Philippines in 1996, the APEC CEO Summit is the premier business forum in the Asia-Pacific region.  The event hosts global business executives, economic leaders and policy makers, allowing each to engage directly with APEC economic leaders. The APEC SME Summit will bring together the region’s micro, small and medium-sized business entrepreneurs to share success stories of SME innovation and internationalization, as well as to highlight institutional support mechanisms proven to drive innovation-based SME growth.  This will be attended by about 1,500 delegates, with 450 attending the SME Conference and more than 1,000 attending the exhibit.  The participants will include government officials, ABAC, business students, entrepreneurs, business organizations, and the media.

“I was quite honored to be selected to join the U.S. delegation to Manila for the APEC meetings this next week. Since my 2009 appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as a District Export Council Member representing Hawaii and the Pacific, I have been doing everything I can to promote trade and economic investment in the U.S. Pacific Region. I am confident that it was that advocacy and constant push that got me noticed and selected to join this honorable delegation for the United States,” said Mendiola-Long.

Mendiola-Long is the current CEO of Bridge Investment Group, LLC, which is currently building a $150-million three-hotel resort at Tinian’s port. He is CEO of American Northern Marianas Regional Center, LLC, which is an approved U.S. Customs and Immigration economic development company; managing member of Sherman Consulting’s Asia Pacific Division; and CEO of Tinian Fuel Services Inc.  Well known for hosting investment tours throughout Micronesia, Mendiola-Long has been responsible for creating over $200 million in new developments and investments throughout the region.

Mendiola-Long will be joining a 25-member U.S. delegation which consists of representatives from the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, U.S. SME’s that are export-ready or currently exporting to APEC economies, as well as trade organizations with export-ready members and other federal government officials.  The key focus of the U.S. delegation will be to explore and promote opportunities to expand U.S. exports within the Asia-Pacific region.

“One of my goals is to interact with as many other country delegates as possible. It is important for me to share the countless opportunities that the U.S. Islands in the Pacific offer to the rest of the Asian countries. The U.S. Pacific Islands serve as a great home base for U.S. companies seeking trade with Asia and also with Asian countries seeking to trade with the United States. Whether it be proximity, our U.S. legal structure or our access to markets, the U.S. Pacific Islands stand as a beacon for fair trade opportunity in the Asian Pacific region. Once I can get them to the islands, our opportunities, our people and our spirit sell itself” Mendiola-Long said.

The APEC CEO and SME Summits will be held from Nov. 16 to 20 in Metro Manila, Philippines. More information about the APEC events can be found here: https://apec2015ceosummit.ph/ and http://apecsmesummit2015.com/. (Bridge Investment Group)