For Immediate Release:January 6, 2006
Contact:Victoria
Park (202) 482-3809
Jorge Martinez
(The Conroy Martinez Group)
(305) 445-7550
Bush Administration Official Honors South Florida Hispanic
Company for
Export Achievements
Israel Hernandez, Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director-General
of the U.S. Commercial Service today presented the U.S. Commerce Department's
Export Achievement Certificate to PAL Laboratories, a Pharmed Group Company
based in Miami. The award is presented to businesses that have benefited
from the Department's Commercial Service export assistance to make their
first export sale or open new foreign markets.
"Ninety-five percent of the world's consumers live outside of the
United States, and Pharmed is an outstanding example of how small, minority-owned
businesses are working to increase their bottom line through exporting,"
Hernandez said. "The Bush Administration will continue to work hard
to help U.S. firms increase their exports by opening up foreign markets
to American goods and generating high-paying jobs for the working people
of Florida and across the country. I commend Pharmed Group for their commitment
to exporting."
Pharmed Group, a Hispanic-owned business, is the largest independent,
full-line distributor of medical, surgical and pharmaceutical supplies,
and is a leading materials management services provider in the United
States. The firm manufactures vitamins and nutritional supplements under
the labels PMG and PAL. Looking to further expand its export sales abroad,
the company has benefited from export counseling, market research, trade
events, and other services provided by Commercial Service specialists
from both the Miami U.S. Export Assistance Center and the Healthcare Team.
In 2003, Commercial Service assistance led to the firm's participation
in the Gold Key Service program that provides for pre-arranged business
appointments abroad, all pre-screened by the Commercial Service. The Commercial
Service in Brazil pre-selected appointments with high potential drugstore
chains in the Sao Paulo area to offer Pharmed products, and provided Pharmed
with information on the product registration process in Brazil. As a result
of participation in the Gold Key, Mr. Odelin Fernandez, Sr. V.P. of Pharmed,
reported the signing of a distributor in Brazil and a deal with a major
drug store chain in that country.
According to Fernandez, export sales have contributed substantially to
Pharmed's continued growth, enabling it to add ten new employees at its
PAL Laboratories over the last year for a total of 58.
The U.S. Commercial Service is a U.S. Commerce Department agency that
helps small and midsize U.S. businesses sell their products and services
globally. The Miami/Ft. Lauderdale U.S. Export Assistance Center is part
of the agency's worldwide network, which includes 108 U.S. Export Assistance
Centers throughout the United States and more than 150 international offices.
For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, please visit www.export.gov
or call 305-526-7425.