UPDATED: SBA Administrator to Announce Export Funding for Small Businesses at Thriving Minneapolis Exporter

Adm. Mills to be Joined by Sens. Klobuchar and Franken

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Karen Mills, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will announce FY12 export funding for small businesses at Delkor Systems, Inc., a thriving local packaging machinery manufacturer, on Monday, September 24, 2012.  Adm. Mills will be joined by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Al Franken (D-MN). The funding is part of the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program, a 3-year Federal-state trade and export pilot partnership, intended to increase the number of small businesses that export and the value of exports by the small business sector.  Following the announcement, Adm. Mills and Sens. Klobuchar and Franken will tour Delkor Systems.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110909/DC65875LOGO)

Delkor designs and manufactures packaging machinery.  Delkor received STEP funding last year from the Minnesota Trade Office to expand their global network to South America and Mexico.    This funding allowed the company to participate in the Packaging Machine Manufacturing Institute's Pack Expo in Mexico City earlier this year.  As a result of this trip, Delkor now has a business contact in Mexico who works directly with his company; has hired three bilingual employees; and anticipates $1,500,000 in export sales to Mexico for 2013. 

Delkor has also benefited from SBA's export working capital loan for the support of export sales.  In addition, Delkor has plans to expand their sales to Central America and the Andean region of South America.  In October the company will move to a new 115,000 square foot facility. 

The STEP Program was authorized by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 for a three year period, and funded at $30 million per year, for the first two years. Under it, competitively awarded grants can be made to the 50 states, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

WHO:             
Karen Mills, SBA Administrator
Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator
Al Franken, U.S. Senator
Dale Andersen, President/CEO, Delkor Systems

WHAT:           
Announcement of FY2012 STEP Funding at Delkor Systems
Interview Opportunity with SBA Administrator Mills

WHEN:           
Monday, September 24, 1:30 PM

WHERE:         
Delkor Systems, Inc.
8700 Rendova St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55014

Release Number: 12-27

Contacts: Carol Wilkerson (312) 353-7327
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration