Mayor awards two Fort Wayne-based companies as Indiana exporters of the year
Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry recognized two Fort Wayne-based companies as the Indiana exporters of the year at the City's sixth annual International Trade Conference at the Grand Wayne Center.
The Mayor awarded Caliente LLC as the 2008 small-business exporter of the year. Tippmann Sports earned the award for 2008 large-business exporter.
“I am honored to recognize two local companies for their exporting success,” said Mayor Henry. “As the market becomes ever more globalized, many Indiana companies will become additionally reliant on their international sales. We produce world-class products and provide cutting-edge services in our city and state, so it's wonderful to see how they are exporting them to other parts of the world.”
Caliente LLC started in 2001, and specializes in the design and manufacturing of thermal systems that manage performance of electronic equipment. Its products heat and cool sensitive equipment such as circuit boards, LCD displays, battery backup systems and cell sites.
Caliente has focused on exporting since its inception, with 25 percent of sales going overseas to the UK, Sweden, Italy, Israel, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. The company's increase in export sales from 2006 to 2007 was 35 percent.
Starting as a firearms manufacturer, Tippmann Sports LLC has developed into a world leader for paintball marker equipment. Today, paintball has almost 10.4 million participants ' more than baseball, more than snowboarding and more than mountain biking. It has emerged into a sport played on fields by paid athletes in professionally organized leagues around the world. In 2007, Tippmann increased its exports to over 80 countries by more than 50 percent as compared to 2006, with almost all markers still made here in Indiana.
Mayor Henry also recognized Thompson International with the International Trade Appreciation Award. Thompson International is an export management company, specializing in the automotive fluid power and HVAC industries, that represents the export sales of North American manufacturers into international markets. It serves as a liaison between the manufacturer who is looking to expand into foreign markets and foreign buyers seeking to purchase consumer goods from top-quality U.S. and Canadian manufacturers.
The currency exchange rate is making American-made products affordable and attractive for foreign buyers. During the last couple of years, American exports, including those from Indiana, have grown rapidly. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. reported 2007 set a record $25.9 billion in Hoosier exports, growing faster than the national average.
The recipients were selected on the following criteria:
1. Exports as a percentage of the company's total sales,
2. The number of countries to which the company exports, and
3. Increase in export sales from the previous year.