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2008 Secretary's Award for Corporate Excellence Finalists Selected

Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
As Prepared for Delivery
Washington, DC
September 2, 2008

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I'm Reuben Jeffery, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs at the Department of State. Today I am pleased to announce the 2008 finalists for the Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence, which we call the ACE award. The Secretary of State has awarded the ACE since 1999 to companies large and small in recognition of outstanding contributions to the communities in which they do business. This year will mark the 10^th anniversary of the ACE program. The ACE finalists are businesses that recognize the critical role United States companies play globally in advancing good corporate citizenship, innovation and democratic principles. Secretary of State Rice will present the winners for 2008 on November 6^th.

This year, 11 U.S. companies operating abroad were chosen as finalists from the more than 60 nominations submitted by U.S. Ambassadors around the world. Each of these companies has shown leadership in promoting opportunity and prosperity in their communities.

We at the Department of State are committed to working with U.S. businesses to further best practices worldwide, and we salute the contributions of all the nominees in promoting goodwill internationally.

The 11 finalists for the 2008 ACE are:

Cargill in China
Dole in the Philippines
Esso in Angola
Google in Brazil
Microsoft in India
Occidental in Colombia
Starbucks in Guatemala
STM Telecom in Nepal
Surevolution in Colombia
Virtusa in Sri Lanka
Weyerhaeuser [Ware-houser] in Uruguay

Congratulations to all the finalists. Your work draws attention to the best qualities that the U.S. embodies overseas – innovation, leadership and a commitment to working with others to build a better and more hopeful future. We are particularly pleased that this year’s finalists hail from all over the world: From Africa to Latin America to Asia. As President Bush has stated, "The United States has a longstanding commitment to open economies that empower individuals, generate economic opportunity and prosperity for all, and provide the foundation for a free society…"

The selection of these companies demonstrates that the U.S. business community plays an integral role in promoting economic engagement across borders. We are looking forward to Secretary Rice’s announcement of the winners at a ceremony on November 6^th in Washington. Please continue to visit this site as we announce the ACE winners and report on other economic work here at the State Department.

Thank you.

Released on September 3, 2008

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