Bill Montgomery had a challenging job before September 11th. For nearly a decade he has been in the front line, selling the advantages of locating new investment projects in Northern Ireland to US firms.

Before the peace process took shape in the North he had to fight an almost daily battle against the CNN images flashed back to the US from riots in Belfast to clashes between police and protesters on the streets of Derry.

Increasing political stability in Northern Ireland brought opportunities for the Industrial Development Board's senior vice-president of North America and then an economic slowdown began to spread across the US.

This translated into a fall-off in investors visiting Northern Ireland for the first time and increased competition among investment teams from the North, the South and from Britain chasing the same investment pool in the US.

Although the economic downturn was a growing concern, it alone might not have forced a major rethink by corporate America. But when combined with the previously unthinkable terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the impact was devastating.

"The whole mindset of America has changed. There is a huge debate about where the US is now and what the response is on a commercial and industrial level," says Mr Montgomery.

"This has obviously had a dramatic impact on our work and for Northern Ireland. In the immediate aftermath of September we were in a position where we had been progressing a number of projects and then suddenly everything was off the radar screens."

The physical and psychological impact of the terrorist attacks on the US has left industry and commerce at a loss, he adds.

"What we are seeing now is a lot of US companies taking a very hard look at where they are and looking at the consolidation of operations in Europe," Mr Montgomery says. Because of this, opportunities are beginning to emerge for the North.

"For instance there are a lot of companies rethinking their strategies for expansion in certain regions such as Asia Minor because of issues of security and stability and this has given us the opportunity to offer them Northern Ireland solutions to their current issues.

"Our key message is that we have something different to offer investors and that is very good people. Our new marketing campaign is based around the theme of 'Fresh Talent at Work' and for me that really encapsulates one of Northern Ireland's greatest strengths," Mr Montgomery says.

And although the events of September have changed the investment climate in the US, the Northern Ireland message remains consistent.

"The marketplace in the US has changed significantly in the last number of years, but we have three key themes which have not changed - one we have quality, available talent.

"Second, Northern Ireland is still very competitive on costs and third we have the infrastructure, both from an IT and digital perspective to support high-tech investment projects."

He is confident that despite the current environment the US will remain vitally important to Northern Ireland's inward investment strategies.

"The US is the biggest market place for investment. Nowhere else has the potential to deliver what we need in Northern Ireland both in terms of wealth and job creation. But we have also a lot to offer American investors - it is a two-way street and Northern Ireland can contribute to the success of their business."