Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation Receives Presidential Award for Export Service
May 17, 2016
TAMPA, Fla. – May 16, 2016 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today presented the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation (EDC) with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
“The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion,”said Secretary Pritzker in her congratulatory letter to the EDC, announcing its selection as an award recipient. “The ‘E’ Awards Committee was very impressed with the organization’s work to help exporters understand the export process and enter new international markets. The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation’s dedication to promoting exports through management of trade mission programs was also particularly notable. Its achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.”
The Tampa Hillsborough EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy in Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace by focusing on the attraction, expansion, and retention of high-wage jobs and capital investment. The organization’s International Business Development program, created and led by Lorrie Belovich, provides export services for local businesses, including export counseling, strategic planning, trade missions and more.
“Export activity is an important contributor to the long-term economic prosperity of our region,” said J.P. DuBuque, interim president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough EDC. “Local companies that export help to raise Tampa and Hillsborough County’s profile as a center for global commerce and enhance our competitiveness.”
In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America’s exporters. Today, Secretary Pritzker honored 123 U.S. companies with the President’s “E” Award for their outstanding work to reduce barriers to foreign markets and to open the door to more trade around the world.
In 2015, U.S. exports totaled $2.23 trillion, accounting for nearly 13 percent of U.S. GDP. Nationally, exports contributed to the U.S. economy, supporting an estimated 11.5 million jobs.
U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service office network, located within the Department’s International Trade Administration, with offices in 108 U.S. cities and more than 70 countries. Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth and case studies which demonstrate valuable support to exporters resulting in increased exports for the company’s clients.
For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.
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About the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors. Working with C-level executives, site selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals, and other influential decision makers, the EDC provides customized, confidential relocation services to domestic and international companies interested in growing within Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City. Locally, the EDC helps existing businesses access the tools and resources they need to expand and succeed.
