Vita-Mix® Corporation Honored With the President's 'E' Award for Exports

CLEVELAND, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vita-Mix® Corporation proudly announces it has received the prestigious President's "E" Award for Exports in recognition of the company's outstanding achievement in supporting export growth in the U.S. business community. It is the highest U.S. Government acknowledgment any American firm or organization can be presented for exceptional export success.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100517/CL06182-a )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100517/CL06182LOGO-b )

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke presented Vitamix President, Jodi Berg, the "E" Award for Exports during a ceremony held in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 13. In addition to receiving a certificate signed by Secretary of Commerce Locke in the name and by the authority of the President, Berg was also presented with a lapel pin and a white pennant with a large blue "E" on it to fly over Vitamix headquarters, located in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.  

"President Obama's National Export Initiative goal of doubling U.S. exports and supporting 2 million jobs over the next five years has raised the profile of the importance of exports to our nation's continued economic recovery," said Secretary of Commerce Locke.  "Vitamix is being honored today for its achievement in enhancing export growth which helps strengthen our economy and create American jobs."

According to Berg, "We are extremely honored to receive the President's "E" Award for Exports. International sales represent the fastest growing area of Vitamix's business, with our products currently being sold in more than 80 countries. We have had success exporting because there is not another product anywhere in the world with our level of quality, reliability and performance. People around the world want products they can rely on from a brand they can trust. Moving forward, we fully expect to strengthen and further expand the company's global reach by developing and producing high-performance, innovative blending equipment for the consumer market and foodservice industries worldwide."    

To qualify for the "E" Award for Exports, a manufacturer must demonstrate a substantial increase in volume exports during a four-year period. Once a company has qualified for consideration, applicants are reviewed by the Interagency President's "E" Award Committee, composed of representatives of U.S. government departments and agencies involved in export-related activities.  Those receiving favorable consideration are then forwarded to the Secretary of Commerce for final selection. Only 17 companies were selected to receive the award in 2010.

About Vitamix®

Vita-Mix® Corporation, privately owned and operated by the Barnard family since 1921, manufactures and markets superior blending and mixing products directly to the public and the restaurant/hospitality industry.  Vitamix is recognized as a leader in innovation in the direct marketing industry, having created the infomercial genre in the late 1940s and developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s.  Leading consumer magazines rank Vitamix as the highest quality consumer blender. The company's commercial customer list reads like a "Who's Who" of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs worldwide say their Vitamix machines are more important to them than their knives.  The company has a global presence in more than 80 countries and continues to win awards for product innovation.  For more information, visit www.vitamix.com.

SOURCE Vita-Mix Corporation