Global Markets | Governor's Excellence in Exporting Awards


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Governor's Excellence in Exporting Awards
The Toledo Assembly Complex encompasses both the original World War II “Jeep” upgraded to the technology and market demands of today and the Jeep Liberty assembled with the latest 21st Century facilities, equipment, and methods. Both vehicles have achieved a reputation for rugged durability in worldwide markets. Toledo’s most recent international achievement is tied to offering a diesel engine in the Liberty export models. Diesel equipped vehicles accounted for 53 percent of its International Cherokee sales and 74 percent of the Western European sales for 2003 year-to-date. In “total dollar volume exports” Daimler-Chrysler has increased from $104.6 million in 2000 to $128.4 million in 2002, an increase of nearly 23 percent.
2003 "E" Award Winners

Advanced Medical Systems, Inc.
Advanced Medical Systems is based in Geneva and is the only manufacturer of Cobalt 60 Therapy Units. Virtually 100 percent of sales are exports and are primarily Ohio-made. Advanced Medical Systems’ units enjoy a reputation of being the “workhorse” of the industry with primary markets located in the Middle East. Recently, Advanced Medical Systems formed a joint venture in India, UB-AMS, to better serve the needs of Indian customers.
Altronic, Inc.
Altronic, located in Girard, is a privately held manufacturer of ignition systems and controls for industrial spark-ignited engines. Its products are sold throughout the world in gas compression and power and generation markets that use industrial gas engines as the prime mover. Over the past few years, Altronic has enhanced its export business by developing and managing a complex network of distributor representatives located in areas of the world where the market demand for these products is strong and offers potential growth. Establishing direct business ties to these companies represented a major strategic change by Altronic towards increasing its exporting business.
Bionix Development Corporation
Bionix Development Corporation, located in Toledo, was started in 1984 by Andrew J. Milligan, Ph.D., and James J. Huttner, M.D., Ph.D. to develop innovative medical products. The company has three Ohio based divisions: Medical Technologies (single-use medical devices such as ear curettes and enteral feeding tube decloggers); Radiation Therapy (products that aid in immobilizing patients during cancer treatment); and Prosthetic Solutions (components which improve the function and cosmetics of prosthetic devices). Bionix exports products to 23 countries and international sales have grown more than 600 percent during the last three years. Approximately 210 Ohio based businesses supply products or services to the company.
BioPlastics Company
BioPlastics is a closely held manufacturing business and has been in existence since 1977. Located in North Ridgeville, the company produces a plastic-coated narrow webbed belting product that is sold to manufacturers and converters as a raw material. BioPlastics also provides some value-added services for semi-finished production. Export business has increased from less than fiver percent of total business in 1999 to a projected 10 percent or more of total revenues in 2003, and is expected to increase 20 percent or more within three years.
Bronx/Taylor-Wilson
Bronx/Taylor-Wilson, based in North Canton, is a 100-year-old manufacturer of finishing/processing equipment used in producing specialty “shaped” steel and non-ferrous material. The company’s product offering includes tube, pipe, bar, and section straighteners, hydrostatic pipe testing machines, rotary cut-off and end facing equipment, and other ancillary finishing equipment. Bronx/Taylor-Wilson is a global company, with more than 1,200 installations in 60 countries. Bronx/Taylor-Wilson continues to expand its sights on international trade through the expansion of its U.K. office, a newly opened Shanghai office and the expected opening of an office in Mexico.
BSI Industries, Inc.
BSI Industries, Inc. is an engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) management company based in Columbus, with its international marketing and finance office located in Herndon, Virginia. BSI offers services for project design, procurement and supply of equipment and material, feasibility studies, supervision at the ports of dispatch and destination, on-site construction supervision and start-up and commissioning. BSI also organizes the participation of vendor and customer representatives in these activities. BSI has current projects in various stages of development in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Many of its projects have been given support by the U.S. Import-Export Bank and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Franklin University 
Columbus International Visitors Council
Franklin University was founded in Columbus in 1902 under YMCA sponsorship as the School of Commerce. It has since become central Ohio’s leading educator of working professionals. For more than 100 years, Franklin has served nontraditional students seeking to advance their education. Throughout its history, the university’s primary concern for the individual student has been its constant theme. Franklin’s mission as an independent not-for-profit, metropolitan institution provides student-centered, lifelong higher education in a global context. This is accomplished through excellence in teaching, appropriate technology, and measurably effective learning. The university provides undergraduate and graduate students, who often work full or part time, both the breadth of knowledge and the career-focused applications required of a balanced education.
Columbus International Visitors Council’s mission: IVC’s mission is to build partnerships between Central Ohioans and citizens of other countries that strengthen democratic ideals, encourage economic development and promote cultural understanding through the exchange of ideas and knowledge.
Frost Brown Todd LLC
Frost Brown LLC, located in Cincinnati, is one of Mid-Americas largest regional full-service law firms with more than 350 attorneys in seven offices located throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. With a thorough understanding of the legal, cultural, and political diversity in the global marketplace, the International Services Group at Frost Brown Todd work with foreign clients in connection with their U.S. operations and investment projects, and with Ohio companies as they export to foreign markets. The Group’s practice concentrates on corporate, commercial, tax, intellectual property, licensing, labor and immigration law, as well as litigation and arbitration. The firm provides a free guide to foreign businesses in five languages entitled “Guide to Doing Business in Ohio.”
Gralex Inc.
Gralex Inc., located in Lewis Center, is an engineering company specializing in the design, assembly and marketing of equipment to the thermoformed paperboard packaging industry. Machinery manufactured by Gralex produces paper plates and paperboard trays used primarily in food service industries. Gralex has developed three full service international distributors and technical literature in five languages, resulting in the export to customers in 12 countries to-date. Combined with a worldwide marketing alliance with a major paperboard supplier to the industry, these distributor relationships have resulted in the significant growth of its international business, which now accounts for nearly 50 percent of total Gralex sales.
Graminex LLC
Over the past six years Graminex LLC has established itself as a leader in the international dietary supplement industry. Located in Deshler, the Graminex facility and warehouse manages more than 5,000 acres of farmland in Northwest Ohio, on which active ingredients for dietary supplements are grown and harvested. Graminex markets its own line of dietary supplements, mainly focusing in the area of prostate care and support. The sales strategy for the company is global in scope. Partnered with its distributors, Graminex products are sold in more than 40 countries on six continents.
Hi-Vac Corporation
Hi-Vac Corporation, a Marietta based company, is a global manufacturing leader producing durable, cost-effective portable industrial vacuum cleaners, stationary vacuum systems with central piping and accessories, mobile and truck mounted vacuum loaders, combination sewer jetting and vacuum units, industrial floor sweepers, and vacuum excavators to meet the needs of most manufacturing industries, municipalities, and specialty contractors. Hi-Vac markets its flagship lines (Hi-Vac, Ultra-Vac, Ren-Vac, Aquatech, Echo Sweeper, and X-Vac) to 28 countries worldwide and to the U.S.A. Hi-Vac, a superior Ohio manufacturer, prides itself in customer satisfaction, unparalleled craftsmanship, and leading edge technology.
Health-Mor n HMI Industries Inc. Company 
Health-Mor is a worldwide, direct selling company engaged in the manufacture and sale of the Majestic, a high filtration surface cleaner, and the Defender, a portable room air cleaner and is located in Seven Hills. Health-Mor’s products are sold under the brand name Filter Queen. In February 2003, Filter Queen marked 75 years of improving the lives of consumers and distributors. Through superior products, Health-Mor keeps its consumers’ homes clean and healthy, and provides fulfilling careers that financially and personally enrich its distributors’ lives.
Hyde Park Electronics, Inc.
Hyde Park is the world’s leading manufacturer of ultrasonic proximity sensors. Based in the Miami Valley Research Park in Kettering, Hyde Park has the world’s smallest commercially available ultrasonic proximity sensor, and was the first company in the world to combine a sonic sensor with a microprocessor and a push-button to allow the customer to window in space. The company has led the industry in major sonic developments over the past three years introducing the first 12 mm ultrasonic sensor, the smallest long-range sensor on the market. Hyde Park continues to lead the industry with innovative new products with world-class performance.
The J. M. Smucker Company
The J. M. Smucker Company was founded in 1897 in Orrville, when the company's namesake and founder sold his first product -- apple butter -- from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Today, more than a century later, the Company is the market leader in fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, health and natural foods beverages, and natural peanut butter in North America. In June of 2002, the Company further enhanced its leadership position with the addition of Jif® peanut butter and Crisco® shortening and oils to the Smucker family of brands. For more than 100 years, the company has been headquartered in Orrville, and has been family run for four generations. The J. M. Smucker Company has 2,700 employees worldwide and distributes products in more than 45 countries.
J. W. Harris Co., Inc.
J. W. Harris Co., Inc. is a basic manufacturer of soldering, brazing and welding alloys sold through agents and distributors to plumbing, HVAC, automotive and welding fabrication industries in 70 counties. Harris manufacturing operations and corporate headquarters are located in Mason with an international division in Piqua; an affiliate in Spain, Harris Euro Corp.; and sales representatives in Germany. Another affiliate, Autobraze Inc. in Rhode Island, manufactures precision brazing rings for automated brazing systems. Harris Corporation S. de R.L. de C.V. was established in 2002 in Culiacan, Mexico to manufacture welding lenses and flux. Despite a struggling economy for the past two years, the Harris Company’s export business has continued to grow using creative marketing practices while utilizing cooperative problem-solving skills within the company.

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