For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Dyke, Curt Cultice, 202-482-4883/3809

October 19, 2001

Commerce Department Award to Promote
U.S. Building Designs and Products in China

Evergreen Building Products Association (EBPA)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans today announced a $354,375 financial assistance award to the Evergreen Building Products Association (EBPA). The Tacoma, Wash.-based organization promotes international markets for wood products and other building materials. EBPA will help U.S. firms capitalize on China's growing interest in alternative building techniques and materials, through promotional campaigns, trade missions, and trade show pavilions. It will also promote building designs incorporating U.S. products and services using methods such as technical seminars, specification manuals, and a design award competition.

The funds are made available through the Commerce Department's Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP), a public-private partnership developed to help small- and medium-sized U.S. firms expand exports that support jobs. The MDCP is a competitive matching grants program that builds partnerships by providing federal assistance to non-profit organizations involved in export promotion.

"The Cooperator program enables American businesses to take the risks necessary to innovate, and to pursue profitable export markets," Evans said. "Now, more than ever, we must be diligent in our efforts to expand trade and economic opportunity for America and around the world."

In his announcement, Secretary Evans identified six other organizations from across the country that will also receive MDCP awards. The seven awards, which total $2.3 million, will go to the non-profit organizations listed below:

• World Trade Center Association, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Long Beach, Calif.
• The Montana World Trade Center at The University of Montana, Missoula, Mont.
• Alameda Center for Environmental Technology, Alameda, Calif.
• National Association of Credit Management, Inc., Columbia, Md.
• Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Washington, D.C.
• Evergreen Building Products Association, Tacoma, Wash.
• Association for Manufacturing Technology, McLean, Va.

These organizations will dedicate an additional $5.3 million dollars for export promotion to the $2.3 million in awards by the Commerce Department.

Since 1993, the Commerce Department has made 61 MDCP awards totalling $19 million.

When all projects funded to date have been completed, the private/public partnership to develop foreign markets will have totaled $67 million.

Organizations interested in the MDCP can obtain information by calling Brad Hess at the Commerce Department: tel. (202) 482-2969, or by visiting the MDCP web site at www.export.gov/mdcp.