Six companies based in North Georgia received Export Achievement Certificates from the U.S. Commercial Service and the North Georgia District Export Council on March 9.

Carlos Poza, acting assistant secretary and director general of the Commercial Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, presented the annual awards at the Loudermilk Center downtown.

The recipients are companies that have used the agency’s services to make their first export sale or open new foreign markets. The export council is composed of local businessmen and women appointed by the U.S. secretary of commerce to help promote and increase international trade in Georgia.

Lithia Springs-based Avalon Vision Solutions LLC, which designs and produces industrial systems for manufacturers, was honored for signing its first distributor in Asia last year after attending the Export Georgia trade education program sponsored by the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Atlanta.

Austell-based Caraustar Industries Inc., a manufacturer of paperboard and related products, was honored for its sale in Israel.

Norcross-based EMS Wireless, a division of EMS Technologies Inc., develops and manufactures advanced technology hardware products. It was honored for completing two new orders in Guatemala, one amounting to $400,000, the other to $550,000, with the agency’s assistance.

Steve Zwonitzer, an industrial designer and entrepreneur, was honored for introducing his products into Canada and Europe with the assistance of the export center here. He founded Atlanta-based Hyper Hobbies Inc. to produce plastic racetracks for hobbyists of remote controlled vehicles.

Duluth-based Microwave Instrumentation Technologies LLC is a developer and global supplier of automated microwave test and measurement systems for satellite communications, PCS and wireless communications, transportation, aerospace and defense industries. The company was honored for signing sales representation agreements in South Korea and Taiwan with local firms identified by the agency’s Gold Key Service. The firm also has established a presence in Pakistan.

Marietta-based Neotonus Inc., a medical device company that manufactures a non-invasive device, which uses magnetic fields to rehabilitate incontinence problems, received regulatory approval for making sales in Taiwan with the assistance of the export center.

For more information, call the center at (404) 657-1900 or go to http://www.export.gov/cs