CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia businesses export a diverse range of products, from aluminum coil to video distribution, construction coatings to silk yarns. In an awards ceremony today, 34 companies received the Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry for exporting to a new country in the previous year.
The awards are presented by Gov. Jim Justice, Department of Commerce Secretary H. Wood Thrasher, the West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia Export Council.
“Exporting means more customers, more sales and more business growth,” said Gov. Justice. “That strengthens our economy and supports jobs here at home. I am proud to honor these businesses for their success.”
The Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry award is a framed piece of currency from each new country to which the recipient business began exporting. The presentation is based on the tradition of displaying the first dollar a business earns.
“Since 2002, the state has handed out more than 2,000 export commendations for exports to 179 countries,” said Secretary Thrasher. “These awards show that West Virginia businesses, large and small, can compete in the world market and are exporting successfully. West Virginia companies that want to start exporting or expand their existing export efforts can call on the services of the Development Office to help. There’s a world of opportunity that West Virginia businesses can tap into.”
Companies receiving their first export awards are Azimuth Inc., Morgantown, Monongalia County; Best Business Strategies, Glen Dale, Marshall County; Dr. B’s Beverages, Inwood, Berkeley County; and Drilco Oil and Gas, Grantsville, Calhoun County. Countries appearing for the first time as export destinations for West Virginia goods are the Republic of Kiribati, a nation of 33 islands in the central Pacific Ocean; Seychelles in the Indian Ocean; and South Sudan in in East-Central Africa.
In cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service and the West Virginia Export Council, West Virginia Development Office offers export assistance such as:
- Consultation to determine a company’s export readiness
- Assistance in identifying foreign markets for an exporter’s product or service
- Trade missions to dynamic markets.
- Support for exhibiting in international trade shows
- Logistical support, such as translators and introductions to pre-screened prospects, for companies participating in international trade shows and trade missions
WVDO completed missions to Korea in September and to Southeastern Europe in October. Missions planned for 2018 include Israel, China, Russia, The Caribbean, Southern Europe and India.
Companies may qualify for additional assistance through an export promotion initiative. West Virginia was selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to participate in the agency’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program. The program known as West Virginia First STEP-Next STEP under the state Development Office provides additional support to small businesses entering (first step) or expanding (next step) in the global marketplace.
For more information on West Virginia Development Office international services, visit http://westvirginia.gov/
Commendations were awarded to the following businesses:
Berkeley County
- Dr. B’s Beverages, LLC. Product: Ready-to-drink bottled tea. Export to: Canada
- Mountaineer Brand, LLC. Product: All-natural health & beauty product. Export to: Australia, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom
- Power Sonix, Inc. Product: High-powered loudspeakers and public address systems. Export to: Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa
Brooke County
- American Muscle Docks & Fabrication. Product:Boat docks, dock hardware, aluminum gangways, and marina accessories. Export to: Australia, British Virgin Islands, Denmark, Nicaragua, Sweden
- Eagle Manufacturing Company. Product: Industrial safety products. Export to: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic,
- El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, United Kingdom
Cabell County
- Richwood. Product: Belt cleaners, impact systems, and material containment systems. Export to: Guyana
- Tri-State Coating and Machine Company, Inc. Product: Thermal hard coatings. Export to: Colombia
Calhoun County
- Drilco Oil & Gas, Inc. Product: Natural gas crude oil production and oil field supplies and equipment. Export to: Mexico
Greenbrier County
- Ezebreak, LLC. Product: Micro-Blaster rock breaking tools. Export to: Australia
Hardy County
- Peacock Manufacturing Company, LLC. Product: Custom cabinetry manufacturing. Export to: Australia, Ireland, Israel
Harrison County
- STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc. Product: Polyurethane adhesives and coatings. Export to: Argentina
Jackson County
- Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC. Product: Aluminum manufacturing – coil, sheet, plate products. Export to: United Arab Emirates
- J&M Industrial. Product: Used industrial equipment. Export to: Ghana, Palau, Vietnam
- Niche Polymer, LLC. Product: Resin, plastic compounding, extrusion. Export to: China, India, Mexico
Jefferson County
- Bars and Booths.com Inc. Product: Diner furniture and lighting. Export to: Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia
- Growth Media Services. Product: Video distribution. Export to: Austria, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
- Schonstedt Instrument Company. Product: Underground locators – magnetic and pipe/cable locators. Export to: Belgium, Chile, Indonesia, Mozambique, Namibia,
- Palau, Serbia, South Korea, South Sudan, Ukraine
Kanawha County
- Cyclops Industries, Inc. Product: Cyclops safety sight glass. Export to: Vietnam
Marion County
- Resolute Forest Products. Product: Recycled Bleached Kraft (RBK) pulp. Export to: China
Marshall County
- Best Business Strategies. Product: Sage 50 Accounting Software (formerly Peachtree). Export to: Antigua, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Ghana, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
- Tecnocap, LLC. Product: Metal closures for packaging. Export to: Chile, Singapore
Monongalia County
- Azimuth Incorporated. Product: Diver6, diving safety and monitoring system. Export to: Bahrain, Italy, Japan, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam
- Gurkee’s®. Product: Rope sandals. Export to: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey
- Z Electric Vehicle. Product: Electric Vehicles, EV components. Export to: India, Portugal
Morgan County
- Washington Homeopathic Products. Product: Homeopathic medicines. Export to: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela
Ohio County
- Direct Online Marketing. Product: Digital marketing, search engine marketing. Export to: Argentina
Putnam County
- Multicoat Products. Product: Construction coatings. Export to: Antigua, Barbados
Raleigh County
- American Airworks. Product: High pressure breathing apparatus and compressed air components. Export to: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Pakistan, Republic of Kiribati, Russia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam
Tucker County
- Thermo-Tech, Inc. Product: Heating and deicing equipment for conveyor belts and related components. Export to: South Korea
Wood County
- Baron-Blakeslee SFC, Inc. Product: Solvent cleaning equipment. Export to: Australia, Iraq
- Kreinik Manufacturing Company, Inc. Product: Braided thread, metallic and silk yarns. Export to: Israel