|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Cram
May 20, 2002
202-482-3809
Commerce Under Secretary Grant Aldonas Honors 16 Georgia
Businesses
for Export Achievements
Congressmen
Isakson and Chambliss Co-Present Awards in
World Trade Week Event Spotlighting Importance of Trade to Local
Economy
Commerce Under Secretary for
International Trade Grant Aldonas and Congressmen Johnny Isakson and Saxby
Chambliss today kicked off World Trade Week by presenting 16 Georgia companies
with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Achievement Award.
The award recognizes business clients of the Department’s Commercial
Service that have used their services to make their first export sale
or open new foreign markets.
“Most jobs in America
are created by small businesses,” Aldonas said. “Small and medium-sized
companies like those in Georgia comprise almost 97 percent of U.S. exporters.
The Bush Administration, working with Congressmen Isakson and Chambliss,
will continue to work hard to help U.S. firms increase exports that generate
high-paying jobs for the working people of Georgia and across America.”
Award winners include: Ad-Tech
International, Atlanta; Bell Logistics, Atlanta; Bellew Tours, Atlanta;
Buffalo’s Café/Bison Bar & Grill, Marietta; Carpeton Mills/Wavemaker
Carpets, Eton; Cinnabon, Inc., Atlanta; Coloplast Corporation, Marietta;
D.A. Technologies Broadband, Alpharetta; Frankie Thompson Enterprises, Inc.,
Lithia Springs; Georgia Carpet Industries Inc., Dalton; K. Derums LLC, Pine
Mountain Valley; Princeton Health Care, Inc., Marietta; Popeyes Chicken
and Biscuits, Atlanta; Repeater Technologies, Madison; Silver Cup Chalk,
Macon; and Universal VAT Services, Decatur.
“While
we are all celebrating the many benefits of trade during World Trade Week,
President Bush still does not have the Trade Promotion Authority he needs
to bring the benefits of open markets to the American people. Increasing
trade gives America the opportunity to export its greatest commodity:
freedom. Granting the President Trade Promotion Authority would
help grow the economy in Georgia and the rest of the country, so I urge
Congress to pass TPA now,” concluded Aldonas.
According
to U.S. Commerce Department figures, Georgia export sales totaled more
than $12 billion last year. The U.S. Export Assistance Center in Atlanta
conducted over 1100 business counseling sessions and facilitated more
than 120 export sales transactions and millions of dollars in Georgia
exports last year. The Atlanta center is part of the global network of
the U.S. Commercial Service, a Commerce Department agency that helps small
and medium-sized U.S. businesses sell their products and services globally.
The
Commercial Service network includes 108 domestic and more than 150 international
offices. In 2001, the U.S. Commercial Service helped U.S. businesses
generate export sales worth more than $34 billion. For
more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, please visit www.buyusa.com or call the U.S. Export Assistance
Center in Atlanta at 404-657-1900.
|
