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Colorado Franchisor Receives Exporter of the Year Award | |
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Commercial News USA Publisher Greg Sandler presented the 2007 Exporter of the Year Award for franchising to Kevin Krause, General Manager of FasTracKids International, during the 2007 International Franchise Expo in Washington D.C. Also pictured above are, from left, Graylin W. Presbury, U.S. Commercial Service Project Officer, David Sparks, FastracKids, and Finola Cunningham, Global Franchising Team Leader for the U.S. Commercial Service. Awards are given to one U.S. company in each of 15 industry categories. Privately-held FasTracKids International Ltd. of Greenwood City, Colo. was named Exporter of the Year in the Franchise category. Winners were chosen based on the total number of documented export deals completed in 2005, total percentage increase in sales in 2005 compared to 2004, exports as percentage of total sales, the company's commitment to exporting, the company's commitment to customer service, and the company's innovation and originality in marketing products or services. Commercial News USA is a catalog-style magazine distributed to an estimated 400,000 readers in 176 countries worldwide. The magazine, which helps U.S. exporters find new markets overseas, has been published for 29 years. To be eligible for the award, the company must currently be exporting from the United States. FasTracKids provides children's enrichment education in more than 26 countries and 11 languages throughout the world. The company reported total export sales of $1,620,961 in 2005, a 14% increase from 2004. Exports now represent 44% of the company's total sales. Founded in 1998, FasTracKids began exporting that same year. "We are pleased to be recognized for the efforts we've made to expand into new markets around the world," said FasTracKids CEO Nancy Faunce. "Commercial News USA has been an important part of our international marketing strategy. Among the countries we currently have a presence in are Brazil, China, Turkey, and Russia, and we expect our global expansion to continue in 2007." Gregory Sandler, publisher of Commercial News USA, said that FasTracKids' success is indicative of how American companies can benefit from exporting. "With 95% of the world's market outside the U.S., there is significant growth opportunity for American manufactures and service providers." More information about the Exporter of the Year awards is available online at www.ExporterOfTheYear.com. | |
