Gov. Nixon, Mo. companies head to Paris Air Show

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon is leading a Missouri delegation to the Paris Air Show.

The delegation left Friday, and will travel from Paris to the United Kingdom, then Belgium and return to Missouri on Saturday.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that 14 Missouri companies and institutions are represented in the Missouri delegation to show, which is a massive aerospace trade exhibition.

Most of the companies joining Nixon on the trip are in the aviation business, including Boeing Co. and Clayton-based Sabreliner. They're looking for new customers overseas.

State officials say no taxpayer funds are being used for the trip. Delegation members are paying their own way. Travel costs for Nixon and his wife are covered by the Hawthorne Foundation, an economic development not-for-profit group funded by private donations.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com