ON Monday, Houston businessman Hal Pontez attended the groundbreaking of his company's power plant in Ghana, talked to government officials about building potable water systems and then met with potential Kenyan customers.
That's the kind of day more Texas businessmen are hoping to have in Africa.
Pontez, president and CEO of Houston's HPI, which supplies turnkey power plants, expects more sales by his firm and other Texas companies to some African nations that desperately need infrastructure, especially in energy-rich nations.
In the western African nation of Ghana, he's noticed several energy companies investing there because hydrocarbons were discovered off the nation's coast a few years ago.
"That's created a beehive of activity here," said Pontez, during a phone call from the capital city of Accra.
Such potential business ties is one reason why local business and political leaders organized next month's Texas Africa Business Summit. More than 300 business owners and African ambassadors are expected to attend the three days of meeting and workshops at the International Trade Center on Bellaire Boulevard.
"We need to expand our markets, and Africa needs new markets as well," said U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, one of the organizers of the event.
Texas ranks as the nation's top exporter to Africa, selling $7.2 billion worth of goods and services to the continent in 2008, nearly double what it sold in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Officials from Houston's larger trading partners of Nigeria and Ethiopia as well as smaller markets of Rwanda and Malawi are expected to attend the summit.
In the case of Ghana, its growing population is making it harder for electrical and water needs to keep up with daily demand, said Pontez, whose firm is also busy in Egypt and Libya.
"They were already seriously lagging behind just because of the increase in population," Pontez said.
Then the influx of energy companies made the need for better utilities even more important.
Unless countries have reliable infrastructure, "you're never really going to capitalize on your opportunities for growth," said Pontez. HPI builds and designs its plant systems in the Houston area and then ships the equipment to the site where it is assembled.
He said international credit agencies have increased Ghana's ratings because of its growing energy business.