According to the GZS, which organised the trip together with the investment promotion agency Spirit and the Economy Ministry, the current situation in the US bodes well for bringing back to life and expanding furniture business.

A similar expedition was launched last year. The GZS said it had created a good footing for the Slovenian companies, but now the ties have to be strengthened and expanded.

The delegation is focusing on interior design, office furniture, designer furniture and components for the furniture industry. The participants are seeking the contacts of architects, designers, property managers and investors among others.

The five-day trip, which started on Monday, will see the expedition travel from New York to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, which have strong Slovenian communities that could help companies get US business off the ground.

The trip is designed around one of the most prominent furniture fairs in the US, the ICFF furniture fair in New York.

Participants are helped along the way by the Slovenian Embassy in Washington, Slovenia's permanent mission to the UN, the consulate general in Cleveland, honorary consuls in New York and Pittsburgh, and the Slovenian-American Business Club from Cleveland.