The Lincoln Electric Company Receives President's 'E Star' Award For Export Growth
CLEVELAND, May 23, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- The Lincoln Electric Company has received the President's "E Star" Award for Exports in recognition of its achievement in supporting export growth in the U.S. business community. The award was presented by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to John M. Stropki, Lincoln's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, at ceremonies held here today.
The "E Star" Award is the nation's highest honor in recognition of growth and excellence in exporting.
Mr. Stropki said, "We are honored to receive this very prestigious award. It recognizes not only our achievement in attaining increased export business and preserving manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. but also the excellent efforts of our employees in meeting the growing demand for our products around the world."
"There has never been a better time to trade," said Israel Hernandez, Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director-General of the U.S. Commercial Service. "The U.S. has cultivated better opportunities for American companies to sell their goods and services around the world, helping them target the 95 percent of the world's consumers who live outside of the United States. I commend Lincoln Electric for their commitment to exporting and their outstanding export accomplishments."
Lincoln Electric is a long-term client of the Commercial Service's Cleveland U.S. Export Assistance Center, and has benefited from export counseling, market research and trade events to make new export sales around the world.
The "E Star" is awarded to those companies that have previously earned the President's E Award, which Lincoln received in 1994.
The Lincoln Electric Company is a major domestic subsidiary of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO), the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment. The Company also has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln has 33 manufacturing locations, including operations, manufacturing alliances and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. For more information about Lincoln Electric, its products and services, visit the Company's Web site at www.lincolnelectric.com.
CONTACT: Roy L. Morrow
The Lincoln Electric Company
(216) 383-4893
Roy_Morrow@lincolnelectric.com
or Matt Englehart
International Trade Administration
202-482-2253
matt.englehart@mail.doc.gov
