For Immediate Release: February 4, 2011
Contact: Mary Trupo (202) 482-3809
Kansas City Firm Recognized for Excellence in Exporting
Under Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez Presents Award
KANSAS CITY, Mo – Francisco Sánchez, under secretary of commerce for international trade was joined by Representative Emanuel Cleaver today in presenting Western Forms, Inc., a Kansas City-based manufacturer, for its achievement in exporting. Western Forms is being recognized for a new-to-market sale in India worth millions of dollars.
Western Forms supplies aluminum forming systems for concrete buildings and has nearly 200 employees in the Kansas City area.
“Western Forms is a great example of a firm that has and continues to diversify internationally to better weather the ups and downs of its industry and the global economy,” said Sánchez. “Its success in India has created a new market for their products and helps secure jobs here in Kansas City.”
The Export Achievement Certificate recognizes small and medium-sized enterprises that have successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time or entered a new market.
Earlier in the day, Sánchez participated in a roundtable discussion with Kansas City-area business leaders and executives on expanding U.S. exports. The event was hosted by The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Both events support President Obama’s National Export Initiative which calls for a doubling of U.S. exports by 2015. Through November 2010, U.S. exports grew 17 percent from the previous year, keeping the United States on track to achieve this goal.
In the first half of 2009, Kansas City exported $2.8 billion in merchandise to markets such as Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and South Korea. Missouri exported $9.5 billion in merchandise in 2009. Additionally, export-supported jobs linked to manufacturing account for nearly 6 percent of Missouri’s total private-sector employment, and over one-sixth or 18.3 percent of all manufacturing workers in Missouri depend on exports for their jobs.
###
International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,100 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
The International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. This site contains PDF documents. A PDF reader is available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.