On May 18th, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker honored 45 American companies and organizations at the 2015 President’s “E” Awards ceremony. Winners of the 2015 “E” Awards represent 20 states across the country including Van Nuys, Calif.; Edina, Minn.; Gilbert, Ariz.; Chicago, Ill.; Sanford, Fla.; and Ellington, Conn. Among the awardees were 35 small- and medium-sized businesses and 21 manufacturers.
This year’s award recipients include Chicago-based Garrett Popcorn which sells gourmet popcorn from retail shops, and has expanded to sell their products throughout Asia and the Middle East; Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt of Mesa, Arizona, which makes and sells soft serve, flavorings, and smoothie mixes to frozen yogurt chains and restaurants in dozens of countries around the world; and Hernon Manufacturing, Inc. of Sanford, Florida, which makes high-performance adhesives, sealants, and precision processing equipment, and exports to 44 countries. The “E” Award ceremony is one of the highlights of World Trade Month, a month-long celebration of the benefits that U.S. exports bring to national, state, and local economies through job creation and growth. This year marks the 53rd annual “E” Awards presentation, which recognizes companies for their contributions to increasing U.S. exports. 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.