MONTGOMERY – Alabama companies that have successfully undertaken exporting initiatives are invited to enter the 2013 Governor's Trade Excellence Awards competition.
“Last year, Alabama's overall exports reached a record high of $17.9 billion, and that number is expected to rise even higher in 2012,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “Trade is a vital part of our economy and the Alabama companies who have succeeded in today’s growing world market are to be honored. These awards give us a chance to recognize their achievements and contributions to the state’s economy.”
"This award highlights the importance of building Alabama’s economy and creating jobs through increasing our exports," said Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield. "This prestigious award recognizes Alabama’s service and manufacturing firms and institutions that have been successful in facing international market challenges through innovation and leadership."
The Governor’s Trade Excellence Award was established to demonstrate the exporting excellence of Alabama businesses and to celebrate their export success. The award program, coordinated by the Alabama Department of Commerce and the Export Alabama Trade Alliance, includes large, medium and small businesses as well as new to export companies from every region of the State. Industries selected are from the manufacturing, service and agribusiness sectors.
The objectives of the Governor’s Trade Excellence Award Program are to:
- Identify Alabama’s successful and innovative exporters.
- Promote exporters as role models to the Alabama business community in order to encourage greater involvement in the global marketplace.
- Develop and enhance awareness of the impact of exporting to Alabama’s economy.
Award winners are selected on submission of their application, which assesses a company on a variety of criteria such as: level of export sales as a proportion of total sales; sustainable growth in export sales; quality of export marketing strategy; senior management commitment to export development; innovations in exporting; and businesses that have benefited from the export assistance to make export sales or open new overseas markets using services from organizations making up the Export Alabama Trade Alliance.
Companies may nominate themselves or be nominated by a trade association, customer or anyone familiar with their achievements. A panel from the Export Alabama Trade Alliance selects recipients of the Governor’s Trade Excellence Award.
Applications can be obtained at www.alabmaausa.org or by calling Hilda Lockhart at 334-242-0442 or Hilda.lockhart@commerce.alabama.gov. The deadline for submitting nominations to the Alabama Department of Commerce is December 14, 2012.
http://www.commerce.alabama.gov/content/media/forms/international_trade/2013%20Trade%20Excellence%20Award%20Application.pdf