Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Presents Awards for Corporate Excellence

This year’s small or medium-sized company winner is Sambazon of San Clemente, Calif. Sambazon was chosen for its efforts to promote sustainable development in the Brazilian rainforests while improving the conditions of indigenous people through creative marketing of the açaí fruit. Sambazon’s purchases of açaí supported nearly 1,000 grower families in 2005, who worked more than 66,000 acres within the Amazon estuary.

The two winners in the multinational category were New York-based Goldman Sachs for programs in Chile and General Motors of Detroit, Mich., for work in Colombia. Goldman Sachs was selected for endowing a gift of 680,000 acres of wilderness in Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile to the Wildlife Conservation Society for a national reserve. The reserve, the size of Rhode Island, contains rare and fragile ecosystems unique to South America. Goldman Sachs worked with the Chilean government to win support for this nature reserve, and the company created an advisory council that includes some of Chile’s most distinguished experts.

In addition to numerous environmental, educational, and crime prevention programs, General Motors is also helping former members of Colombia’s paramilitary forces to reintegrate into civil society. The company has trained and employed demobilized former fighters and is working with Colombia’s peace commission to create a production facility that will employ military widows and demobilized conflict members to make uniforms for use by GM employees in the Andean region.

The three winners were chosen from 12 finalists. The nine other finalists were APCO in China, Chevron in Indonesia, Coca-Cola in Mexico, Delta Construction in Vietnam, Kerr McGee in Benin, McDonald’s in Guatemala, Microsoft in Egypt, Motorola in Iraq, and Pfizer in Pakistan.

The Secretary of State has given the ACE Award since 1999 in recognition of the vital role that U.S. businesses play worldwide to advance outstanding corporate citizenship, innovation, and exemplary international business practices, and to highlight the Department’s commitment to commercial diplomacy, business outreach, and the goal of promoting best business practices worldwide.