Veteran-Owned Tennessee Company Successfully Expands into New Markets with Ex-Im Bank Insurance
Smoky Mountain Cheese
Exporter: Smoky Mountain Cheese, LLC — Seymour, TENNESSEE
Destination: Brazil, Peru, Caribbean
Ex-Im Bank Product: Express Insurance
Jobs Supported: 6
After 20 years of making cheese spread in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, two Tennessee residents founded Smoky Mountain Cheese, LLC in October 2009. This veteran-owned small business manufactures its signature product - Beer Cheese Spread. Smokey Mountain Cheese's (SMC) sales and marketing team learned about Ex-Im Bank by attending a trade meeting at the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.
Within five working days, Ex-Im Bank approved SMC's application for a $100,000 Express Insurance policy. The nonpayment protection provided by the policy gave SMC the confidence to expand into Brazil, Peru and the Caribbean Islands, hence growing its export sales by 10% and supporting six jobs.
“
Ex-Im Bank has helped us enter foreign markets with minimal business risk which allows us to enter new markets with confidence,
”
- Randall Mitchell, President