Oct. 28 - Minnesota Trade Office Honors Nine Companies

ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) has named nine companies winners of the 2010 Governor's International Trade Awards for success in building global markets.

The companies will be honored during a luncheon at the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis on Friday, Oct. 29, in recognition of Minnesota World Trade Week 2010.

This year's winners are 3M Co., St. Paul; Ideal Aerosmith, East Grand Forks; Leeds Forensic Systems Inc., Minneapolis; MOCON Inc., Brooklyn Park; Network Executive Software Inc., Maple Grove; ReconRobotics Inc., Edina; Rosenbauer America LLC, Wyoming; Viracon, Owatonna; and Knewtson Soy Products LLP, Good Thunder.

"Minnesota companies sold nearly $15 billion in manufactured exports last year," said Dan McElroy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. "State exports have rebounded strongly through the first half of 2010, approaching the record volumes of 2008. The nine award winners recognize the value that diverse, global markets can bring to their bottom line."

The companies were selected for developing and continuing to expand a significant part of their business in foreign markets, for increasing or maintaining jobs in Minnesota to support international sales, and for developing novel approaches for competing globally.

"These nine firms are a good example of the hard work and ingenuity that it takes to succeed in foreign markets," said Ed Dieter, acting executive director of the Minnesota Trade Office. "The Minnesota Trade Office is proud to partner with these companies and hundreds more to help them develop their global reach."

The luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. at Windows on Minnesota on the 50th floor of the IDS. Keynote speaker Anne Grey, national director of the U.S. Commercial Service, will speak on the National Export Initiative and what it means for Minnesota exporters.

The awards presentation and luncheon is part of a daylong conference on how to increase Minnesota's competitiveness in international markets. The conference will include presentations by Art Rolnick, former senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Pete Mento, director of global customs and trade policy for C.H. Robinson Worldwide; and television journalist Jason Davis. 

The 2010 Governor's International Trade Awards winners are: 

3M Co., St. Paul - 3M, a diversified international company, produces products and services in many markets, including industrial and technology; health care; consumer office; display and graphics; and electro and communications.

Ideal Aerosmith, East Grand Forks - Ideal Aerosmith supplies precision inertial guidance test systems, flight motion simulators, aerospace test engineering services and contract manufacturing services to the aerospace industry.

Leeds Forensic Systems Inc., Minneapolis - Leeds Forensics Systems manufactures comparison microscopes for firearms, toolmarks and trace evidence examiners.

MOCON Inc., Brooklyn Park - The international manufacturing company produces instruments and markets testing services and consulting for measuring the permeation of gases and water vapor through barriers and films. Headquartered in Brooklyn Park, MOCON has operations in Texas, Colorado, Germany and China.

Network Executive Software, Maple Grove - Formed in 1999, the company provides computer software for high-speed data communications/wide area network optimization.

ReconRobotics, Edina - Formed in 2006, ReconRobotics manufactures tactical, micro-robotic systems used by military and law enforcement customers worldwide. 

Rosenbauer America LLC, Wyoming - Rosenbauer America is an enterprise consisting of three companies - Central States, General Safety and Rosenbauer International -- with a combined history of more than 200 years in the firefighting and rescue vehicle field.

Viracon, Owatonna - An international company of Apogee Enterprises Inc., Viracon produces high-performance glass products, including tempered, laminated, insulating, silk-screened and high-performance coatings.

Knewtson Soy Products LLP, Good Thunder - Knewtson Soy Products is a family farm partnership specializing in the production, processing, sales and shipping of premium, identity preserved food grade soybeans and soybean products to both domestic and international markets.

Additional information about Minnesota World Trade Week 2010 is available at www.PositivelyMinnesota.com.

MTO, an office within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), is focused on increasing state export sales in foreign markets. The MTO promotes international trade by providing export information, export education and training, and one-on-one counseling to Minnesota companies that wish to sell manufactured goods and services in the international marketplace. 

DEED is the state's principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at www.PositivelyMinnesota.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PositivelyMN. 

Upon request, the information in this news release is available in an alternative format such as Braille, large print, audiotape or computer disk.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Communications Office
Phone 651/259-7161 or 1-800-657-3858 ∙ TTY 1-800-657-3973
www.PositivelyMinnesota.com