Remarks by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo at the President's E Awards Ceremony

Apr 20, 2023

Good morning, everyone, and congratulations to our winners! The E and E Star Awards are the highest honors U.S. exporters and export service providers can receive from the U.S. government. They are a testament to your hard work exporting your products and services to the global market − and your remarkable resilience during an unprecedented global pandemic.

You represent the opportunities that we want all American businesses to have by selling around the world: profit, impact, and economic growth. Exporting world-class American products and services overseas isn't just good for our domestic economy – it's also vital to our global competitiveness. That's why we’re doing everything we can at the Commerce Department to promote American businesses and products.

Today's winners contributed to nearly $1.5 billion in exports of goods and services between 2019 and 2022. I want to mention just a few highlights. BOSCOGEN, a small, minority, woman-owned manufacturer of vitamins and dietary supplements from Irvine, California, is receiving its second E Star award. When BOSCOGEN received its first E Award in 2012, it was exporting to 12 markets. Today, it's 40. The company achieves 90% of its revenues through exports.

Heavy Equipment Resources of Florida, Inc., out of Jacksonville, is receiving its second E Star award as well. They distribute heavy equipment, components, and spare parts to the mining and earthmoving industry, and have succeeded in remote export markets, primarily in Africa. They’ve grown from 10 export markets when receiving the E Award in 2013 to 32 export markets today.

We are also pleased to welcome back Gamber-Johnson for a third award. Gamber-Johnson was first recognized in 2014 with the E Award, and then again in 2018 with the E Star Award. Today, after doubling their export sales again, they’re collecting their second E Star.

We’re also recognizing manufacturers who are bringing the best of America to the world and making the world a cleaner place for the next generation, like NRG Systems from Hinesburg, Vermont. NRG is a designer and manufacturer of hardware, software, and services for wind and solar resource management on utility-scale renewable energy projects. They export to 58 international markets.

Kaizen Enterprise of Princeton Junction, New Jersey exports scrap metals, lead-acid batteries, and paper. It has doubled its exports each year for the past four years, meaning more materials are being recycled instead of ending up in landfills. And that's just a sample of the many American companies whose leadership will set a course for a better future for us and our neighbors around the world.

Thank you to all our winners for your commitment to export growth, and for helping to keep our economy strong. On behalf of President Biden, the Commerce Department, and our entire Administration, congratulations to all the recipients of the President's E and E Star Awards. Please give them a big round of applause.