Panalpina Receives Governor's Trade Excellence Award

Panalpina was among eight Alabama companies recently presented with the Governor's Trade Excellence Award by Governor Bob Riley for excellence demonstrated in exporting. The Governor's Trade Excellence Award was established in 2005 and inaugurated in 2006. Its objectives include identifying Alabama's successful and innovative exporters, promoting exporters as role models to the Alabama business community in order to      encourage greater involvement in the  global marketplace, and enhancing awareness of the impact of exporting on Alabama's economy.

"Alabama continues to move forward and prosper due in large part to a sustained growth in exports,” said Gov. Riley. "Exports have helped to generate jobs in our state, and it is an honor and a pleasure to recognize these eight companies and their achievements.”

Indeed, the value of Alabama’s exports grew by 33.58% between 2005 and 2007, totaling over $14.4 billion last year. This surpassed the national growth rate in exports of 28.56% between 2005 and 2007. In recent years, more than 2,350 Alabama companies exported, and of those, more than 80% were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees. In addition, more than 100,000 jobs throughout the state are directly linked to trade, and 15% of all manufacturing workers in Alabama depend on exports for their jobs.

According to Neal Wade, Director of the Alabama Development Office, "Trade means jobs, jobs mean revenue, and revenue means prosperity. It is vital that we continue pursuing new export markets so that Alabama companies can further increase their share of the nation’s export business. The tremendous export growth experienced by the state in recent years has shown that we are headed in this direction.”

The recipients of the 2008 Governor’s Trade Excellence Awards are as follows:

Aviagen, Inc. (Huntsville)
Axsys Technologies, Inc. (Cullman)
International Shipholding Corporation (Mobile)
McShan Lumber Company, Inc. (McShan)
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (Vance)
Panalpina (Huntsville)
Quality Valve Inc. (Mobile)
Sprayroq Inc. (Birmingham)

Panalpina executives are presented the Governor's Trade Excellence Award by Governor Bob Riley. Pictured left to right are James Beck, Patrik Gaehwiler, Matthias Frey, Governor Bob Riley, Adrian Emmenegger, Paul Metzger, and Guy Falkenberry.