Arjun Dhake and Congressman Kerry Bentivolio
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker presented Plymouth MI based Indian owned Dhake Industries Pvt Ltd with the President’s “E” Award for Exports at a ceremony in Washington, DC.
The “E” Awards are the highest recognition any U.S. entity may receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of US exports.
“Exporting continues to be the foundation of our sales growth, and we are honored to receive the “E” Award,” said B.G. Dhake, President and CEO. “When we first began exporting nearly 10 years ago, export sales accounted for a very small percent of our total sales.
During the past ten years however, export sales have grown to 45 percent of our total sales, enabling us to sustain jobs and continue to expand our work force, even through the economic downturn a few years ago.”
“Dhake Industries has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with Dhake Industries’ work to develop a market for its products in China. The company’s participation in international trade missions was also particularly impressive.
“Dhake Industries’ achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Pritzker in her congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection as an award recipient.
Located in Plymouth, MI, the company is a manufacturer of interior and exterior OEM automotive paints and coatings. Being a major supplier of coatings for many interior and exterior automotive components, Dhake Industries prides itself on being the leader in coatings technologies in the industry.
U.S. exports of goods and services hit an all-time record of $2.3 trillion in 2013. Nationally, jobs supported by exports reached more than 11 million last year, up 1.6 million since 2009. Launched earlier this month, NEI/Next, a new phase of President Obama’s National Export Initiative, works to boost economic growth and support additional American jobs by assisting more US companies of all sizes in exporting to more markets across the globe.
President Kennedy revived the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America’s exporters. The “E” Award Program was established by Executive Order 10978 on December 5, 1961. Four years of successive export growth and an applicant’s demonstration of an innovative international marketing plan that led to the increase in exports is a significant factor in making the award.
US companies are nominated for the “E” Award for Exports through the Department of Commerce’s US and Foreign Commercial Service office network, located within the Department’s International Trade Administration, which has offices in 108 US cities and more than 70 countries to help US exporters.
Nila Pandya
