Corporate America’s continued investment is vital to Northern Ireland’s economy.

That’s the message that Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will take with them on an investment mission to the US this week, the BBC reports.

Before they head across the Atlantic, they are meeting with the management of local branches of US companies. Last week, they met with leaders at engineering firm FG Wilson, which laid off 180 agency workers in December and announced 250 planned redundancies in January.

One of their planned US meetings is with Caterpillar, FG Wilson’s parent company.

“We shall also be meeting other existing investors and exploring trade and investment opportunities with the strong message that we are very much open for business,” the BBC quoted Robinson as saying.