AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage will lead a trade mission to Mexico and Columbia to promote investment and educational opportunities in Maine, his office announced on Friday.

LePage and a group of Maine business leaders are scheduled to leave Sunday for the five-day trip to Mexico City, Queretaro and Bogota. It will be the Republican governor’s third trade mission since taking office.

LePage said Friday that Maine needs to be more competitive in the international business community.

“Our goal in Mexico and Columbia will be to develop additional contacts for private investment and promote Maine as a great place to study and invest,” he said in a statement.

Nine Maine businesses and educational institutions will be highlighted throughout the trip, the governor’s office said.

One of those businesses is Bridgton-based Shively Labs, a broadcast equipment manufacturer. LePage’s office says the company is looking to capitalize on business opportunities brought on by the transition of AM radio stations to FM in Mexico.

In Mexico, the governor will give remarks at a meeting for a group of Mexican investors in the U.S. and meet with business leaders in Queretaro, a hub for automotive and aerospace industries.

The group will move onto Columbia later in the week where LePage will attend a round table event to encourage Columbia students and their parents to consider educational opportunities in Maine.