It’s been more than 18 months since an Oklahoma delegation had a physical presence at a trade show or event outside of the U.S. Later this month, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) will join five Oklahoma aerospace companies at the 2021 MRO Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“Our business team is excited to return to a more traditional trade show model,” said Brent Kisling, Commerce Executive Director. “We adapted well to the virtual shows made necessary by the pandemic, but there were certainly challenges and limitations – especially with global shows when participants are from numerous countries in widely differing time zones.”

With the increase of global shipping costs and timelines, Oklahoma offers an incredible value proposition for global companies looking to shorten their supply chains.

“We have always offered an extremely competitive cost of doing business,” said Jennifer Springer, Commerce Director of Business Development. “But the continued price increases and delays in international shipping are providing further motivation for creating a more localized supply chain to keep operations running efficiently.”

MRO Europe is an international trade show for maintenance, repair and overhaul in the aerospace industry. Aerospace and defense is Oklahoma’s largest and fastest-growing sector.