NASHVILLE— The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development today announced that Novità Technologies, BPI Packaging, LLC and Jack Daniel Distillery are recipients of the Governor’s Award for Trade Excellence. The GATE Award honors small, medium and large sized companies that have achieved excellence in engaging in global trade. The winners will be presented their awards on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015 at the 62nd Annual Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development during the Governor’s Luncheon.
“I want to congratulate the GATE Award winners on their excellence in exporting. All three winners have made a great contribution to the state of Tennessee,” TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd said. “It’s great to see these three companies bringing Tennessee-made products all over the globe. In 2014, Tennessee companies exported $32.9 billion worth of goods and services, and we plan to keep that number growing.”
Novità Technologies, the small sized company winner, designs and manufactures electronic controls for automotive, heavy duty and construction lighting applications. Founded in 2007, Novità Technologies is headquartered in Hendersonville, Tenn. The company exports to both aftermarket and OEM in foreign countries. Their export sales in 2015 totaled 5.5 percent of total sales to reach $2.4 million, up from $1.7 million in 2013. In their commitment to exporting OEM products, Novità Technologies has also developed new LED lighting technology specifically for Chinese and Korean built automobiles. They expect more international growth in 2016.
BPI Packaging, LLC, the medium sized company winner, is located in Memphis, Tenn. and was established in 2000. The company blends, packages and distributes chemical products for consumer and industrial markets for Fortune 500 customers. BPI Packaging, LLC is the largest contract manufacturer for 3M/U.S. and 3M/Singapore for the Meguiar’s auto care appearance products. The company’s export sales have been increasing since 2013 and have now reached $6 million. Export sales now make up 20 percent of the company’s total annual sales.
Jack Daniel Distillery, the large sized company winner, is America’s oldest registered distillery founded in 1866. Located in Lynchburg, Tenn., Jack Daniel Distillery is world famous for its Tennessee Whiskey. The company has continued to grow to become a top 10 export for the state of Tennessee. Jack Daniel’s is sold in over 160 countries worldwide. Foreign sales growth for the company exceeds domestic sales growth. For the past three years, the company’s export sales have risen by 5 percent each year from 50 percent in 2013 to 65 percent in 2015.
Tennessee companies exported $32.9 billion worth of goods and services in 2014, and Tennessee’s export growth of $6.9 billion from 2010-2014 ranks No. 12 in the nation. Top export commodities include medical equipment and supplies, motor vehicle parts, motor vehicles, computer equipment and basic chemicals. Top export markets include Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and Belgium.
For more information about trade in Tennessee, visit export.tnecd.com.
The 62nd Annual Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development will be held Oct. 13-14 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. For more information on the conference, visit govcon.tnecd.com.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Tennessee was named 2014 and 2013 “State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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