Georgia Firms Take Home Presidential Export Awards During World Trade Month

Two Georgia exporters and one bank with a significant presence in the Atlanta market were among the 64 entities honored with presidential awards for contributing to U.S. export success.

The E and E Star awards were doled out in a mid-May ceremony at the U.S. Commerce Department in Washington, the culmination of a nomination process starting with U.S. Export Assistance Centers around the country, including in Atlanta.

Trans Globe LLC, a Woodstock-based exporter of grains, proteins and other food commodities, earned the E Award after showing measurable export increases over the last four years.

Experienced in selling abroad, with nearly all of its sales coming from overseas, the company had already made its mark as a three-time winner of the GLOBE Award from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which highlights companies that have broken into a new export market in a given year.

Run by Egyptian transplant, Georgia State University graduate and experienced food entrepreneur Diaa Ghaly, the company was also named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Exporter of the Year in Georgia in 2023.

“We are not doing international trade as part of our business; it is our business,” Mr. Ghaly said during a Georgia State University event in 2022.

In a letter to the company, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pointed out its sales to 48 countries and said Trans Globe had “undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.” As of May 29, the company had five export-oriented job openings on its website.

Another winner showing continued dedication to export success was Sigma Recycling Inc., the lone Georgia winner of the E Award in 2019. This year, Sigma, a subsidiary of a United Arab Emirates firm with 32 affiliated offices in 25 countries, was among 13 firms nationally receiving the E Star Award reserved for previous awardees that have reported four years of additional export growth.

Sigma exports plastic, paper, metal, rubber and other reusable materials all over the world. It even deals in wood, used cooking oil, electronic waste and hay. The Gwinnett County-based company proudly displays an image of its original E Award at the top of its website.

While Regions Bank is based in Birmingham, Ala., its Atlanta-based commercial team played a key role in garnering the E Award for Export Service, a special category of the award devoted to service providers. Along with providing letters of credit and other financial instruments, Regions works with both the SBA and the Export-Import Bank of the United States to aid U.S. firms selling abroad.

See more about the awards and the full list of winners here.

Additional E Award winners across the southern U.S. included:

E Award for Exports

• American Fuel Cell and Coated Fabrics – Magnolia, Arkansas
• NearshoreNetworks – Asheville, North Carolina
• Sciencix, Inc. – Cary, North Carolina
• BEYOND International Inc. – Sugarland, Texas
• Fleetsoft – Plano, Texas
• ExploreLearning, LLC – Charlottesville, Virginia
• Cunsa International LLC – Miami, Florida
• Pan American Zinc – Miami, Florida

E Award for Export Service

• Torres Trade Law, PLLC – Dallas, Texas
• Direct Online Marketing – Wheeling, West Virginia

E Star for Exports

• Argus Fire Control, Inc – Charlotte, North Carolina
• Equilibar – Fletcher, North Carolina
• Ace Pump Corporation – Memphis, Tennessee*
• Walton and Post, Inc. – Miami, Florida

E Star for Export Service

• FedEx Corporation – Memphis, Tennessee
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership Division of International Trade – Richmond, Virginia
• IBT Online LLC