WASHINGTON — The plastics industry is well-represented on the list of U.S. companies honored May 28 for their efforts to increase American exports.
Plastics companies among the 66 firms honored with the 2014 President's “E” Award for demonstrating a sustained increase in export sales throughout several years include:
• Genicon, a designer and manufacturer of laparoscopic surgical tools, based in Winter Park, Fla.
• Icelantic Skis, a 7-year-old handmade fiberglass ski company in Denver.
• ILC Dover LP, of Frederica, Del., the company that created NASA's space suit and now specializes in protective suits and high-performance flexible materials and, particularly since its 2012 acquisition of flexible film product maker Grayling Industries.
• ISCO Industries, Inc., a Louisville, Ky.-based supplier and custom fabricator of high density polyethylene pipe.
• Nordson's Swainsboro Manufacturing Plant in Swainsboro, Ga., where 150 employees engineer, manufacture and market equipment for precision adhesive dispensing for packaging, product assembly and polymer processing equipment for extrusion and injection molding.
• Rugged Liner Inc., a manufacturer of truck-bed liners and related items based in Owosso, Mich.
• Sentry Protection Products, LLC of Lakewood, Ohio, which makes impact-resistant plastic column protectors for factories and parking garages.
• Shintech, Inc., based in Houston, and the parent company of parent of compounder K-Bin Inc. of Freeport Texas, the largest U.S. PVC supplier.
• Injection molder Philips-Medsize, based in Hudson, Wis., best known for designing and manufacturing medical and drug delivery devices.
“By selling made-in-America goods and services internationally, U.S. business can grow faster, hire more employees, pay higher wages, and help spread American ideas, innovation and values,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “Last year, exports supported 11.3 million jobs, with U.S. goods and services exports reaching a record $2.3 trillion.”