U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster Honors Pennsylvania Regional Export Network and Duncansville Company For Exporting Efforts

Duncansville, PA-Congressman Bill Shuster (PA-09) today presented Helsel Lumber Mill, Inc. of Duncansville with the U.S. Commercial Service’s Export Achievement Certificate, and the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission (SAPDC) with the U.S. Commercial Service’s Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade. The event took place at Helsel Lumber in Duncansville, PA.

The Export Achievement Award recognizes U.S. companies that have made their first export sale or entered a new overseas market with the assistance from the Department’s U.S. Commercial Service. Helsel Lumber is a small, family owned and operated company that manufacturers the high-quality Pennsylvania Appalachian Hardwood products for domestic and international markets.

“Helsel Lumber is an excellent example of how a small company can reach out to foreign markets from central Pennsylvania,” said Shuster, a member of the Small Business Committee in Congress. “Small and medium-sized firms like Helsel Lumber account for almost 97% of all U.S. exporters and are the backbone of our economy because they provide good jobs and quality services.”

The Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade recognizes export assistance and promotion organizations that the U.S. Commercial Service partners with to assist U.S. companies in exporting. SAPDC is a Regional Export Network Center of the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development that provides export assistance to companies in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties.

With joint export counseling from the U.S. Commercial Service in Pittsburgh and Beijing, China, and the SAPDC, Helsel Lumber was able to successfully sign a representative in the Chinese market. As a result of this agreement, Helsel Lumber has seen sales in excess of $300,000 and was able to add seven new employees to their company.

“I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of what the U.S. Commercial offices and the SAPDC have done for us,” said Jim Burger, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing of Helsel Lumber. “Both the Commercial Service office in Pittsburgh and the SAPDC have been most helpful in expanding our business into new international markets.”

Burger says that Helsel Lumber plans to increase their presence in international markets and will continue to utilize U.S. Commercial Service and SAPDC assistance. “The advice and guidance of the Commercial Service and the SAPDC enabled us to determine with confidence that we should pursue sales opportunities in China.”