ka's participation in Ohio's Business Mission to Mexico results in project in the State of Nuevo Leon

Cleveland, OH (April 22, 2005) - Cleveland-based ka architecture has been chosen to develop the environmental graphics for a comprehensive highway signage package to accommodate tourists and other visitors to Nuevo Leon.  ka' s team will work in tandem with representatives from Nuevo Leon's tourism and highway authorities to ensure effective and efficient results.

In May 2003, on a Mexico-Ohio Trade Mission trip, Thomas M. Milanich, Chief Operating Officer at ka, represented the firm to promote its architectural capabilities.  Milanich was joined by 35 other participating Ohio companies and selected state government employees, including Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio.

"We traveled to Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City with the anticipation of forming strategic alliances and developing lasting relationships with individuals and organizations that could benefit from our experience and knowledge," said Milanich.  "Our intention was to provide value to developers, landowners, architects, and contractors to accelerate and enhance the planned growth of the Mexican built environment and expand Mexican development opportunities in Ohio," he adds.

Milanich credits the present opportunity to forming a relationship with the chief executive officer of a large hotel development company in Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, to whom he was introduced during his trip in the spring of 2003.  During the fall of 2003, the governor of Nuevo Leon asked the hotel executive to re-create the image of both Monterrey and Nuevo Leon.  At that point, he contacted Milanich to submit a proposal for the environmental graphics. 

ka was subsequently awarded the project, which is broken down into four phases.  The first phase, consisting of data collection and background research is underway.  In early May, ka will return to Nuevo Leon for further site investigations and meetings with government authorities.  The project's anticipated completion is scheduled for 2007.

"This is a great chance to expand our work into the global economy. We hope this leads to more projects in Mexico," said Milanich.  Milanich has made several subsequent trips to the area and continues to maintain correspondence with developers and architects he met while on his initial trip.  ka is also poised to launch a Spanish language version of its new website.

The state of Nuevo Leon is located in northeastern Mexico and shares a border with Texas. It plays an important role in driving Mexico's economic development, is highly industrialized, and boasts a high-quality standard of living. Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, is the third largest city in Mexico.

Governor Taft's Ohio Business Mission to Mexico took place in 2003. The mission has been credited for bringing approximately $97 million in projected sales to Ohio businesses that participated.

ka is a national, award-winning design firm that provides architecture, planning, landscape architecture, environmental graphics, and interior design services to commercial developers and corporate clients. For more than four decades, the firm has brought a holistic, client-centric focus to projects in the built environment, resulting in enduring architecture. To learn more, visit www.kainc.com.