 |
 |
| P R O M O T I N G G L O B A L H E A L T H , H E A L I N G & H O P E |
| Home | About Us | What We Do | Where We Work | Who We Are |
| CUNA OPENS CHINA OFFICE, STATE ALSO OPENS TRADE OFFICE THERE March, 2004 Madison-based CUNA Mutual has opened an office in southern China that will offer financial services to rural credit cooperatives that serve 200 million customers. "They represent about 12 percent of the Chinese banking sector," Ralph Swoboda of CUNA said this morning in a teleconference interview from Nanjing, the latest stop of Gov. Jim Doyle and his 79-member trade delegation. "Our market is credit unions in the U.S. and credit unions and credit cooperatives in 25 countries around the world," Swoboda said. "China is a new market for us, where we are just now opening our first office in Guangzhou to serve rural credit cooperatives in China. We plan to provide them with insurance products and other types of financial services." China is CUNA Mutual's largest potential market outside the United States, and perhaps ultimately larger than the U.S. market, Swoboda said. The company already has a representative and office in Beijing. Another highlight of the 79-delegate trade mission - which began March 19 and will conclude on March 31 - was the official opening of the state of Wisconsin's China Trade Office in Shanghai. "We look forward to supporting Wisconsin businesses," said Paul Swenson, director of the trade office, who has been in Shanghai since October getting it going. The office provides distribution services, temporary office services, general counseling and other assistance, said Swenson, a native of Hudson who has held several senior management positions in China, including serving as a consultant with the U.S. Commercial Service attached to the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. A new agreement announced during the teleconference has been signed by a Milwaukee-based consortium, the Center for International Health, with the city of Shanghai. The agreement is expected to dramatically change the city's emergency medical systems landscape. "Wisconsin residents currently benefit from a sophisticated emergency care system," said CIH President Mark Anderson. "We look forward to working with Shanghai officials to import Wisconsin expertise to improve the city's pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency care, as well as develop injury prevention initiatives." Shanghai has a population of more than 20 million but only a handful of emergency response vehicles. A lack of adequate resources combined with immense traffic congestion often means long response times and varying levels of patient care. "Emergency medicine is one of the newest medical specialties to evolve from the medical field," Anderson said. "Shanghai has the technological infrastructure to support state-of-the-art patient care. We will provide the experience and training necessary to ensure the system they adopt has the capability to address the logistical issues facing this rapidly growing population. Doyle and CIH officials said the contract will raise Wisconsin's profile as a center for excellence in medical training and technology, and potentially increase demand for medical equipment and services from other Wisconsin companies. CIH members include Children's Hospital and Health System, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Marquette University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Government and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. |
| Copyright 2006. All rights reserved., CIH 9501 W. Watertown Plank Rd., P.O. Box 1997 Milwaukee, WI 53226 Ph: 414.257.6442 Fax: 414.257.8191 Web site created and managed by E.Schmidlkofer Please make inquiries or report problems about this Web site to the Webmaster. eschmidlkofer@c4ih.org |
| 9501 W. Watertown Plank Rd. P.O. Box 1997 Milwaukee, WI 53226 Phone: 414 - 257 - 6442 Fax: 414 - 257 - 8191 eschmidlkofer@c4ih.org |