US Ex-Im names award winners

US Ex-Im have named the winners of three prestigious awards; small business of the year, bank deal of the year and green transaction of the year, at their annual conference held in Washington between March 10-12.

Miami’s DemeTech, an exporter of surgical sutures and blades, was named as small business of the year, impressing US Ex-Im with its proactive example of expanding into a large number of global markets that want cutting-edge US technology but could not buy it without US Ex-Im support.

US Ex-Im chairman and president Fred Hochberg says: “DemeTech tapped the resources of both the private sector and three US government agencies to expand its export of top-quality medical equipment to some 80 counties from Latin America to the Middle East to Asia.”

The Clipper wind power transaction was voted best deal of the year when it broke into the global marketplace by exporting twenty-seven 2.5-megawatt wind turbines to Mexico, backed by a US Ex-Im US$80.7mn direct loan.

Doug Pertz, Clipper chief executive officer, comments: “The funding provided support for Clipper’s sales efforts at a time when project financing was tough to get. The export helped keep people working when many companies were downsizing. We’re confident that this first export for Clipper will encourage additional international sales for us in the future.”

The award for green transaction of the year was given to Suniva, a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells and modules.
The company used a US$2mn US Ex-Im short-term, multi-buyer insurance policy to offer a US$500,000 credit line to a customer in India to purchase its solar equipment, leading to a number of potential export deals in the pipeline.

“Suniva exemplifies the innovative spirit behind the development of America’s leading-edge gree technology, and its export to the global marketplace,” remarks Hochberg. “This company is growing global business at a time when many small companies are wary of exporting.”