For over 20 years, The Beacon Council has been working for the economic prosperity of the Miami area and it's just released its annual report for how the Miami-Dade County economy looks now, and into the future.  It looks good.  

The Beacon Council is partly private, partly public, where Miami business leaders sit at the table with Miami officials (like the mayor and county commissioners) to work towards getting new investments into this area, helping existing businesses, and growing new jobs.  It's called an "economic development partnership," and the Beacon Council is one of only 31 economic development organizations in North America (that's Canada and the U.S.) that is accredited by the International Economic Development Council. 

Columbia Beer Brewers Relocation to Miami: Example of International Interest in Miami

You can read the 2011-2012 Beacon Council Annual Report online.  It provides not only incentives that Beacon Council promotes to players both in the United States and around the world, reasons that Miami is the place to be in 2013 and beyond, but concrete examples of its successes, such as the March 2012 decision by SABMiller Latin America to relocate from Bogota, Colombia to Miami-Dade County. SABMiller Latin America is one of the world’s largest brewers of beer, and it sells over 200 beer brands around the world.  

SABMiller has over 70,000 employees in more than 75 countries, and its move to Miami is a big boost to the local economy.  Why did SABMiller Latin America decide on Miami-Dade?  According to the Beacon Council report, it was the easy access offered to South American markets by the Miami International Airport combined with South Florida's skilled and bilingual work force. 

Beacon Council's Top 10 Reasons to do Business in Miami, Florida:

1. Excellent business climate with no state or local income tax.
2. Convenient direct air service from Miami International Airport to all major destinations in Latin America and the Carribbean, and more flights to the region than any other U.S. airport.
3. Ability to ship goods efficiently anywhere in the world through PortMiami, Florida's largest container port.
4. Centrally located in the Western Hemisphere and in the Eastern Time Zone, facilitating communication with Europe and the western United States.
5. More than 100 international consultates, trade offices, and bi-national chambers of commerce that support the worldwide flow of goods and services.
6. Skilled multilingual, multicultural work force drawn from more than 100 nations.
7. Strong, growing domestic economy serving more than 5.6 million South Floridans.
8. Ready access to sophisticated banking, insurance and legal services and other professional services.
9. High quality of life with a wide range of housing options, year-round outdoor recreational activities, renowned cultural institutions and four major professional sports franchises.
10. Financial and workforce training incentives available to qualified companies.  

Just how much international trade connections does Miami have, really?  

Just scroll through the list at the County Website, where the Office of Economic Development and Tourism keeps a roster of Interational Consulates with offices here in Miami.  Here are those consultates and trade offices (and their contact information) as of October 2012 located here in Miami ... and from the looks of this list, the real question seems to be "what country ISN"T interested in doing business here in Miami??"

List appears on extended post page:

 

Company Address City State ZIP Code Phone Fax

Brazilian Consulate and Trade Bureau 80 SW 8 Street

Suite 2600 Miami FL 33130 305-285-6225 305.285.6232

British Consulate 1001 Brickell Bay Drive

Suite 2800 Miami FL 33131 305-374-1522 305-374-8196

China Latin American Trade Center 2340 NW 27 Avenue Miami FL 33142 305-244-2708 305-636-0910

Colombia Trade Office-PROEXPORT 601 Brickell Key Drive

Suite 801 Miami FL 33131 305-374-3144 305-372-9365

Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda 25 SE 2 Avenue

Suite 300 Miami FL 33131 305-381-6762 305-381-7908

Consulate of Barbados 150 Alhambra Circle

Suite 1000 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-442-1994 305-567-2844

Consulate of Chile 800 Brickell Avenue

Suite 1200 Miami FL 33131 305-381-9864 305-379-6613

Consulate of Hungary 2655 Le Jeune Road

Suite 303 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-448-2131 305-448-3184

Consulate of Iceland 1820 SW 73 Avenue Plantation FL 33317 (954) 792-4451 (954) 792-4451

Consulate of Israel 100 N. Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 1800 Miami FL 33132 305-925-9413 305-925-9455

Consulate of Jamaica 25 SE Second Avenue

Suite 609 Miami FL 33131 305-374-8431 305-577-4970

Consulate of Malta 13829 Via Da Vinci Delray Beach FL 33446 (561) 496-6942 (561) 496-6942

Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany 100 North Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 2200 Miami FL 33132-2381 305-358-0290 305-358-0307

 

Consulate of Argentina and Trade Office 1101 Brickell Avenue North Tower, Suite 900 Miami FL 33131 305-373-2161 305-373-1598

Consulate of Bahamas 25 SE 2 Avenue

Suite 600 Miami FL 33131 305-373-1399

Consulate of Belgium 216 NE 1 Street

Suite 230 Miami FL 33132 305-377-1368 305-377-2881

Consulate of Belize 370 Minorca Avenue Coral Gables FL 33134 305-666-1121 305-666-1121

Consulate of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 1101 Brickell Avenue

Suite 901 Miami FL 33131 305-577-3834 305-372-5167

Consulate of Bolivia 700 S. Royal Poinciana Boulevard

Suite 505 Miami Springs FL 33166 305-358-6303 305-358-6305

Consulate of Canada 200 South Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 1600 Miami FL 33131 3055791600 3055791631

Consulate of Colombia 280 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables FL 33134 305-448-8402 305-448-5558

Consulate of Costa Rica 2730 SW 3 Avenue Miami FL 33129 305-871-7485 305-522-0119

Consulate of Denmark 3107 Stirling Road

Suite 101 Ft. Lauderdale FL 33312 954-322-0065 954-322-0064

Consulate of Ecuador 117 NW 42 Avenue

Suites CU-4 and CU-5 Miami FL 33126 305-373-8520 305-539-8313

Consulate of El Salvador 2600 Douglas Road

Suite 104 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-774-0840 305-774-0850

Consulate of Finland 50 NE 29 Street Miami FL 33137 305-444-0004 305-444-9057

Consulate of France 1395 Brickell Avenue

Suite 1050 Miami FL 33131 305-403-4160 305-403-4151

Consulate of Germany 100 N. Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 2800 Miami FL 33131 3053580290 3053580307

Consulate of Grenada 201 S. Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 2800 Miami FL 33131 (786) 942-0275 (954) 538-9615

Consulate of Haiti 259 SW 13 Street Miami FL 33130 305-523-6383 (954) 977-7660

Consulate of Honduras 7171 Coral Way

Suite 102 Miami FL 33155 305-263-3281 305-263-3269

Consulate of Italy 4000 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Suite 590 Coral Gables FL 33144 305-374-6322 305-374-7945

Consulate of Japan 80 SW 8 Street

Suite 3200 Miami FL 33130 305.530-9090 305.530.0950

Consulate of Lebanon 6600 SW 57 Avenue

Suite 200 Miami FL 33143 305-665-3004 305-666-8905

Consulate of Mexico 5975 SW 72 Street

Suite 301 South Miami FL 33143 (786) 268-4881 (786) 268-4888

Consulate of Mozambique P.O. Box 4066 Hallandale FL 30009 305-432-2407 305-937-1010

Consulate of Nicaragua 8532 SW 8 Street

Suite 270 Miami FL 33144 3052651415 3052651780

Consulate of Norway 1007 North America Way

Suite 305 Miami FL 33132 305-358-4386 305-374-4369

Consulate of Panama 5775 Blue Lagoon Drive

Suite 200 Miami FL 33126 305-447-3700 305-447-4142

Consulate of Paraguay 25 SE 2 Avenue

Suite 705 Miami FL 33131 305-374-9090 305-374-5522

Consulate of Peru 444 Brickell Avenue

Suite M-135 Miami FL 33131 305-374-1033 305-373-5388

Consulate of Portugal 1901 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

2nd Floor Coral Gables FL 33134 305-444-6311 305-444-7649

Consulate of Slovak Republic 5200 NW 67 Avenue Lauderhill FL 33319 (954) 577-1318

Consulate of Spain 2655 Le Jeune Road

Suite 203 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-446-5511 305-446-2602

Consulate of Swedan 2550 Eisenhower Boulevard

Suite 310 Fort Lauderdale FL 33316 (954) 467-3507 (954) 467-1731

Consulate of Switzerland 825 Brickell Bay Drive

Suite 1450 Miami FL 33131 305-377-6700 305-377-9936

Consulate of Thailand 2801 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Suite 1170 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-445-7577 305-446-9944

Consulate of the Dominican Republic 1038 Brickell Avenue

1st Floor Miami FL 33131 305-358-3220 305-358-2318

Consulate of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 200 S. Biscayne Boulevard

Suite 5400 Miami FL 33131 305-373-1300 305-373-1303

Consulate of the Netherlands 701 Brickell Avenue

5th Floor Miami FL 33131 786-866-0482 786-866-0498

Consulate of the Phillipines 1635 S. Miami Road

Suite 3 Ft. Lauderdale FL 33316 9545242610 9545367878

Consulate of the Republic of Poland 1440 79 Steet Causeway

Suite 117 Miami FL 33141 305-866-0077 305-865-5150

Consulate of the Republic of Suriname 6303 Blue Lagoon Drive

Suite 325 Miami FL 33126 305-265-4655 305-265-4599

Consulate of Trinidad and Tobago 1000 Brickell Avenue

Suite 800 Miami FL 33131-3047 305-376-2269 305-374-3199

Consulate of Tunisia 1236 SW 21 Street Miami FL 33145 305-858-5456 305-858-5909

Consulate of Uruguay 1077 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Suite B Coral Gables FL 33134 305-443-9764 305-443-7802

Consulate of Venezuela 1101 Brickell Avenue

North Tower #901-N Miami FL 33131 305-577-4214 305-372-5167

COPCA-Consortium for Commercial Promotion of Catalonia 2655 Le Jeune Road

Suite 810 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-442-4018 305-442-1676

EXCAL (Castilla y Leon) 28333 Bird Avenue Miami FL 33131 305-567-1866

Extenda Trade Promotion Agency of Andalucia 1500 Douglas Road

Suite 230 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-444-4647 305-444-4655

Foreign Trade Corporation of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) 5201 Blue Lagoon Drive

#863 Miami FL 33126 305-629-3581 305-629-3580

Guatemalan Trade Office 1101 Brickell Avenue

Suite 1003-SA Miami FL 33131 305-373-0322 305-373-0244

Haiti Trade Center 8325 NE 2 Avenue

Suite 205 Miami FL 33138 305-759-4795 305-759-4751

Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Winchell Cheung) 601 Brickell Key Drive

Suite 509 Miami FL 33131 305-577-0414 305-372-9142

Honorary Consulate of Albania 4077 NE 5 Terrace Ft. Lauderdale FL 33334 9545373571 9545373593

Honorary Consulate of Austria 1454 NW 17 Avenue

Suite 200 Miami FL 33125 305-325-1561 305-325-1563

Honorary Consulate of Czech Republic 3111 Stirling Road Ft. Lauderdale FL 33312 954-985-4127 954-985-4176

Honorary Consulate of Republic of Macedonia P.O. Box 222094 Hollywood FL 33022 (954) 249-0514 (954) 923-4346

IVEX (Valencia) 777 Brickell Avenue

Suite 703 Miami FL 33131 305-530-5434 305-520-5436

Japan Trade Office 10200 NW 21 Street

Suite 101 Miami FL 33172 305-477-5556 305-477-5656

KOTRA: Korea Business Trade Center, Miami One Biscayne Tower

Suite 3770 Miami FL 33131 305-374-4648 305-375-9332

Malaysia Trade Center 703 Waterway

Suite 105 Miami Fl 33126 305-267-8779 305-267-8784

Peruvian American Trade Center 1940 NW 82 Avenue Miami FL 33126 305-728-6272 305-639-9625

Prochile - The Chilean Trade Commission 800 Brickell Avenue

Suite 900 Miami FL 33131 305-374-0697 3053744270

PROEXCA - Canary Island Trade Office 2655 Le Jeune Road

Suite 1114 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-446-2087 305-446-2088

ProMexico Investment and Trade 444 Brickell Avenue

Suite 450 Miami FL 33131 305-415-9360 305-415-9361

Spain Trade Office (Trade Commissioner) 2655 Le Jeune Road

Suite 1114 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-446-4387 305-446-2602

St. Vincent & the Grenadines Association of Florida 4275 NW 56 Drive Coconut Creek FL 33073 954-648-4658

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office 2333 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Suite 610 Coral Gables FL 33134 305-443-8917 305-442-6054

Taiwan Trade Center Miami 5301 Blue Lagoon Drive

Suite 150 Miami FL 33126 305-266-9191 305-266-8787

Thai Trade Center 6100 Blue Lagoon Drive

Suite 100 Miami FL 33126 786.388.7888 786.388.7999

The Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (IGAPE) 1221 Brickell Avenue

Suite 1540 Miami FL 33131 305-358-5988 305-358-6844