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Kennesaw’s Delta Sigma Co., which designs and builds systems to automate manufacturing and assembly tasks, has been honored by the U.S. Commercial Service for a more than five-year export journey that has delivered sales in 15 countries.
The Export Achievement Award was presented to the nearly 30-year-old company by Joseph Semsar, acting under secretary for the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration.
“We hope their achievements will inspire other Georgia businesses to expand their American-made goods to global markets,” Mr. Semsar said in a statement after touring Delta Sigma’s factory.
The Commerce official was in metro Atlanta Jan. 27-28 to talk up the benefits of the newly signed revamp of NAFTA known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, as well as the so-called phase one deal with China.
During a session with executives at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, he outlined the ways the Commercial Service helps American companies find partners and land deals overseas, focusing heavily on the role of the U.S. Export Assistance Centers like those operating in Atlanta and Savannah. In an interview with Global Atlanta, he stressed that they would be key points of contact for helping local firms navigate the opportunities presented by the new trade deals.
That has been the case for Delta Sigma, which in 2013 began working with the local arm of the U.S. Commercial Service to discern how its engineered systems would be regulated abroad. The company designs antenna measurement systems, robotic systems used for aerospace, automotive and shipbuilding automations, and augmented reality applications that project onto various surfaces, helping guide workers through assembly or painting tasks.
“Without the guidance of the U.S. Commercial Service, it is hard to imagine that we could have navigated these waters successfully,” Roger Richardson, CEO of Delta Sigma, said in a statement. “We are a small company and have now brought millions of dollars into the U.S. economy. Since 2014, our export business has allowed us to increase our workforce by about 15 percent, and we expect that number will continue to grow.”
Delta Sigma’s 21 full-time workers are “without a doubt among the leading minds in this cutting-edge industry,” Congressman Barry Loudermilk, a Republican from the 11th district, said in praising the company for its work driving economic growth in the U.S.
The award adds to growing export momentum for the company which in November became one of five finalists pitching for up to $20,000 doled out by the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge. Pitch day was open to first-round winners that had already taken home $5,000 in the form of a reimbursable grant. Delta Sigma didn’t place in the top three companies, which took home additional awards of $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
But other recognitions have continued to roll in. The Georgia Department of Economic Development also honored Delta Sigma with a GLOBE Award in late 2019, which each year recognizes companies that have achieved sales in a new export market.
Mr. Richardson, the CEO, praised longtime USCS Senior International Trade Specialist Dina Molaison for steadfast support over the years that has led to orders in the millions of dollars.
Learn more about the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Atlanta here.