SteelMaster Buildings Receives Inaugural National Award for Global Trade from UPS
By unanimous decision, SteelMaster Buildings was awarded the UPS "Growth through Global Trade Award" which recognizes the company as the top U.S. business with fewer than 500 employees that excels in international trade. SteelMaster Buildings is located in Virginia Beach, VA and is a manufacturer, designer and supplier of arched steel structures.
Virginia Beach, VA January 11, 2011 - A UPS representative was on hand in Virginia Beach, VA to present SteelMaster Buildings, LLC with the Growth through Global Trade Awardwhich recognizes the company as the top U.S. business with fewer than 500 employees that most effectively exports to international markets.
UPS created the award in 2010 while conducting a series of export seminars targeting small- and medium-sized businesses established to encourage participation in President Barack Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI) to double U.S. exports by 2015-an increase that will support two million jobs in America.
Before announcing its decision this week, a panel of experts reviewed and judged the many Growth through Global Trade awardentries that it received since late August 2010 in search of the company that best exemplifies a business that excels at exporting. The criteria that determined the judges' decision was based on growth of international sales and/or business operations; an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative pursuit of international growth opportunities; and ambitious plans to continue growing the company through exporting.
"SteelMaster Buildingswas a clear stand-out for the Growth through Global Trade Award," says Dale Hayes, vice president, UPS small business and retail marketing. "SteelMaster understands the true economic impact of exporting and has smartly grown its business overseas through selling directly to customers and by developing a robust network of distributors."
For 28 years, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to more than 40,000 customers spanning 40 countries and seven continents. But it wasn't until the past five years that the company began exploring opportunities to export its product internationally in earnest.
SteelMaster hired Emma Granada four years ago to lead the charge in expanding the company's international business, one that has grown to include Haiti, Korea, Romania, Mexico, Nigeria, Malta, Angola, Chile, Peru, Slovakia, South Sudan, Romania, and Costa Rica, among others. Fluent in Spanish and French, Granada has helped develop SteelMaster's distributor network to more than 50 countries. "Not only are the distributors working to drive sales, they provide in-country customer service and technical assistance to overseas customers in their native languages," says Granada. "Our distributors are critical to providing SteelMaster with feedback on specific markets." She also highlights the value of networking for the success of a company's international business. "The work that we have done with the assistance of organizations such as the U.S. Commercial Service and the VEDP (Virginia Economic Development Partnership)has been invaluable to our continued growth abroad," says Granada. SteelMaster Vice President Rob Poellnitz acknowledges these organizations for guiding the company through its foray into the global marketplace over the past five years-a period in which the domestic marketplace became saturated by competition and the U.S. dollar weakened.
"Initially, we applied for a VEDP-sponsored grant that was available for smaller companies that wanted to expand internationally," says Poellnitz. "It really opened our eyes to what was out there, and we learned a lot from experiences shared by similarly positioned companies. It also helped us develop confidence. We were also invited to several events where we met people from the U.S. Commercial Service, and we realized after just a few conversations with embassies from across the world that there was a great network in place to help companies like ours."
To broaden communication and better connect with consumers throughout the United States and across the globe, SteelMaster launched its Spanish-language websitein November 2010. The new website provides individuals access to SteelMaster product and application information, blogs, videos, and news in Spanish. "We decided early on that we needed language-specific portions of the site," says Poellnitz. "This past year, we made an entirely Spanish site. We also have introductory pages in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and Korean, along with a few others. The evolution now of our Internet marketing-key word searches, web address extensions-is very expensive to do. But, the payoff has been worth it, because it really enhances people's understanding of the product."
During the award presentation at SteelMaster's main office, Poellnitz says he was heartened by the recognition from UPS that SteelMaster is making positive strides on an international scale and anticipates more good things to come. "Every day brings a new challenge whether it is a language barrier or cultural understanding," says Poellnitz. "There is never a dull moment as we expand our reach around the globe. We at SteelMaster are truly honored to be recognized as the inaugural recipient of this award."
For more information on SteelMaster Buildings, please visit our website SteelMasterUSA.comor call 800-341-7007 (757-422-6800).
Contact Information
Michelle Wickum
SteelMaster Buildings
http://www.steelmasterestructuras.com/
800-341-7007 ext. 8113
