Global Business Center Receives Presidential Award

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker presented Salt Lake Community College’s Global Business Center with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington, DC. 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 “E” Award Committee was very impressed with the Global Business Center’s dedication to helping first-time exporters understand the export process and enter new international markets,” said Secretary Pritzker in her congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection as an award recipient. “The Global Business Center’s achievement has undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.”

Global Business Center Director Stan Rees (middle) and MBRC Executive Director Beth Colosimo (right)

with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

“The Global Business Center is delighted to receive the prestigious President’s “E” Award for Export Service, acknowledging our services and training programs for exporters,” said Stan Rees, Director of the Global Business Center. “True market expansion means we must look to the global marketplace."

SLCC’s Global Business Center, in association with the Miller Business Resource Center (MBRC) in Sandy, provides classes, seminars and conferences teaching small and medium-sized U.S. businesses how to export. Topics taught include international marketing, trade logistics, trade finance, strategic planning and more. The key exporter training service is the Executive Certificate of Global Business Management course, which is offered to business executives, staff professionals and entrepreneurs who wish to increase their knowledge and improve their strategies in global business practices.

“Exporting is crucial to the success of many of the businesses we work with,” said Beth Colosimo, executive director for the MBRC. “Every day we see the growth of our clients’ businesses, due in large part to exporting. This growth has enabled our clients to add jobs and support their local communities as they expand their bottom line.”

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.