Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today congratulated four Colorado organizations for receiving the President’s “E” Award for significant achievement in exporting products and services overseas. The four firms – Boulder-based Lightning Eliminators; Denver-based Frederick Export; World Trade Center Denver, and Geotech Environmental Equipment – were honored this morning at a ceremony in Washington DC.
“Last year, Colorado exports set a record high, increasing by more than 10 percent and growing to $8.1 billion,” Bennet said. “Colorado firms like Lightning Eliminators, Frederick Export, World Trade Center Denver, and Geotech Environmental Equipment are a perfect example of how our state’s businesses can take advantage of this trend by tapping this growing international market. This not only helps these individual businesses grow, it spurs economic development for our state.”
Bennet has been leading an effort in Colorado to help more businesses export their products and services abroad and grow their customer base. This year, his statewide “Beyond Colorado” workshops, which link Colorado’s small and medium-sized business owners with experts from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and the Colorado Bar Association Intellectual Property Section, have been held in Pueblo, Grand Junction, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins.
Upcoming workshops are planned for Boulder (June 4), the mountain region (Glenwood Springs, June 19), and Durango (TBD). At the Boulder workshop, Bennet’s office will formally recognize and congratulate these “E” award winners.
The Beyond Colorado sessions are designed to provide business owners with information about state and federal resources available for exporting overseas and the basics of protecting ideas and intellectual property when selling and distributing products outside of the U.S. One of the featured panelists at these workshops, Karen Gerwitz, is the President of Denver-based World Trade Center Denver, one of this year’s “E” Award recipients. Gerwitz recently discussed the resources available for Colorado companies looking to do business abroad following one of the Beyond Colorado workshops.
The President’s E Award was created in 1961 to recognize firms and organizations that contribute significantly to American exports. It is presented annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce.