Front Row: Congressman Richard Neal (second from left) Richard B. Hardy, chairman (left); Richard M. Clemence, president (second from right) and Don Cummings, vice president, international sales (right). Back row, from left: William Davis, Boston USEAC; Jesse M. Lapierre, USA Trade Promotion, Washington D.C.; and Robert McEntire, USA Trade Promotion, Washington D.C.

Neal Honors Hyde Tools, Inc. for Export Achievement

U.S. Congressman Richard Neal (D-MA-2) presented Hyde Tools, Inc. with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Export Achievement Award at the company's Southbridge, MA headquarters. The Export Achievement award recognizes U.S. businesses that have have successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time, or that have significantly increased their revenue through exporting.

"It gives me special pride to see our local companies competing internationally, said Congressman Neal. American products are the best products in the world. Hyde's success is proof of that."

Hyde Tools is a Southbridge-based manufacturer of high quality commercial knives and home maintenance products for both professionals as well as do-it-yourself homeowners. Don Cummings, vice president of international sales at Hyde, consulted with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Commercial Service about increasing Hyde's sales leads internationally. Cummings was introduced to Commercial News USA, the Commerce Department's official export promotion magazine.

Working with the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Boston and Northampton, MA.-based Think Global Inc., publisher of Commercial News USA, Hyde has placed six large ads in the magazine, which is distributed in 145 countries worldwide. The result: Commercial News USA has helped generate more than $40,000 in both New to Market and Increase to Market sales for Hyde. Cummings said Hyde is very pleased with the exposure it has received from Commercial News USA, and the services of the U.S. Commercial Service, Hyde lives on sales leads and Commercial News USA produces them for us, he said.

The U.S. Commercial Service is a U.S. Commerce Department agency that helps small and medium-sized U.S. businesses sell their products and services globally. The Commercial Service in Boston is part of the agency's worldwide network, which includes 108 Commercial Service offices throughout the United States and more than 150 international offices in over 80 countries. For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, please contact 1-800-USA-TRADE or visit www.export.gov. For more information about Commercial News USA, visit www.export.gov/cnusa.