Robert Heuermann, Jr. Named Executive Director of World Trade Center Saint Louis

St. Louis, MO June 25, 2004 -- Robert R. Heuermann, Jr. who is executive director of the St. Louis Center for International Relations, has been named executive director of World Trade Center St. Louis, with responsibility to expand international economic development initiatives and merge administrative functions of the two organizations.As executive director of World Trade Center Saint Louis (WTC-STL), Heuermann will work to strengthen relations with local and international businesses while developing new WTC-STL programs to help local companies enter and conduct business in new global markets, including those in Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, Africa and the Middle East.Heuermann, age 38, also will lead initiatives to intensify promotions and pro-business outreach for both organizations to help generate new overseas trade, reciprocal investment and economic development for enterprises in metro St. Louis. St. Louis Center for International Relations (SLCIR) and World Trade Center Saint Louis will maintain separate identities, yet each will realize additional benefits from the pooling of resources, said Heuermann, who will continue as SLCIR executive director. Both organizations are located at the World Trade Center Building at 121 South Meramec Avenue.Heuermann has been executive director of SLCIR since 1999 and a member of the WTC-STL Board of Directors since 2000. Previously, he was an international marketing consultant for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Early in his career, he was an independent producer for TV and movies, including National Geographic Television; Paramount Pictures; The A&E Television Network; The History Channel; BBC in London; RTL Television in Berlin; and for Japanese TV in Osaka.World Trade Center Saint Louis is a regional entity serving metropolitan St. Louis, the state of Missouri and Southern Illinois. It offers customized global market research and business intelligence services; conducts more than 30 trade-specific events annually; renders access to global business contacts and resources; and provides international business education programs and seminars. Its license is granted by the World Trade Centers Association in New York City. The St. Louis Center for International Relations is a non-profit entity administered jointly by St. Louis City and St. Louis County governments. Its primary mission is to promote the St. Louis region's international profile and develop socio-economic exchanges with other cities to attract more business investment and to expand educational and cultural opportunities locally. It is the development arm of St. Louis' thirteen sister city relationships and their committees.For more information, contact Robert Heuermann, Jr. at 314.863.6777 or Jeff Dunlap at Powerline Public Relations, LLC in St. Louis at 314.721 5505, or visit the websites www.worldtradecenter-stl.com or www.slcir.org.