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Article from The Columbus Dispatch (June 12, 1999)

State's Top Exporters Honored
By Benjamin Lowe

"Exports are the engine that grows Ohio's economy"
- Governor Bob Taft, addressing export winners

You know you're at the Governor's Excellence in Exporting awards when you find a license plate reading Global 2. With Rickenbacker International Airport as a backdrop, Governor Bob Taft yesterday honored 33 Ohio companies for their achievements in marketing products overseas. J.M. Smucker Co. of Orrville, Ohio was Exporter of the Year.

"We're in a world marketplace today," Taft said. "Exports are the engine that grows Ohio's economy." Taft said Ohio had $27 billion in exports for 1998 compared with $12 billion in 1988.

The global nature of the economy to which Taft alluded was driven home by more recent trade numbers that show Ohio businesses have been affected by the Asian economic crisis. Ohio's exports to Japan totaled $1.5 billion for 1998, down 30% from the year before. Exports to Korea totaled $417 million, down almost 48 %.

But Ohio made up the difference with its trade to Mexico. The North American Free Trade Agreement helped make Mexico the state's fastest-growing market, the governor said. Taft used the occasion to highlight the Trade Education Partnership, begun by his predecessor, Gov. George V. Voinovich. The partnership, run through the Ohio Department of Development, is designed to teach companies, their employees and their customers about the benefit of international trade. The department's director, C. Lee Johnson, emphasized the importance of such trade practices. "The international community affects us in a direct and positive manner".

Blacklick-based Impulse Wear Inc. was one of the two Franklin County companies honored at the ceremony. Its owner, Larry Levine, said 40% of his company's $5 million in revenues comes from foreign markets. Impulse Wear manufactures licensed heat applied graphics, which are supplied to clothing retailers and wholesalers around the world. Their designs include everything from Garfield to World Wrestling Federation to wildlife designs.

"We've had success in Brazil, Italy and Japan," Levine said, adding his staff of international directors have helped his company succeed in foreign markets. Michael Meshanko, Impulse's director of sales, said his company has found success in finding artwork that "translates into any culture". He also cited the economies involved in exporting transfers for the garment, not the article of clothing. "We only have to pay for the paper, which is more economical and more cost-efficient".

Area companies recognized at the ceremony were Columbus-based BSI Industries Inc.; Athens-based Sunpower, Inc.; and Circleville-based Telesis Technologies, Inc.BSI serves the oil and gas industry, offering services including feasibility studies, project management and training. Sunpower is an engineering research company. Telesis is an information-technology and systems-integration company serving health, education and human-services fields.

Taft said there is plenty of room for growth in international markets, noting one-third of the state's largest companies have not yet developed international operations.

"To be successful today, companies need to start competing across the world".