The North Carolina World Trade Association (NCWTA) promotes support for international trade by presenting two Governor's Awards annually-the Governor's International Trade Award, which recognizes a company for excellence in exporting, and the Governor's International Community Award, which recognizes an organization that provides outstanding support of North Carolina's world trade via trade, service, or education. Each NCWTA chapter recognizes local firms and organizations as outstanding contributors in these two categories and nominates one firm or organization in each category for the state awards.

NCWTA announced on May 3 that Aeroglide Corporation of Raleigh, North Carolina, won the Governor's International Trade Award and the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center (ECVC) of Greenville, North Carolina, won the Governor's International Community Award.

The award recipients were recognized at the 36th Annual NCWTA conference, A Trade Odyssey, held May 2-4, 2001, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Aeroglide designs and manufactures customized thermal processing equipment, including large industrial driers and coolers that remove moisture in order to preserve the final product. Exports have grown 62 percent since 1998, and annualized compounded export growth from 1992 through 2000 has been 63 percent. CEO J. Frederick Kelly, Jr., and Vice President for International Sales Tom Mix received the award on behalf of the company. Aeroglide is a member of the Triangle Chapter of NCWTA.

ECVC is a private, nonprofit organization that provides job training and employment opportunities for disabled persons in Pitt County and the rest of Eastern North Carolina. From its main facility in Greenville, which employs about 100 people, ECVC exports 6,000 tons of paper recyclables to destinations primarily in Europe and Southeast Asia. This business, along with ECVC's other products (some of which are also exported), creates more than 95,000 hours of work per year for persons with disabilities who may not otherwise have employment opportunities. ECVC's CEO Daneel L. le Roux and Production Information Specialist Ghanim Al-Shibli accepted the award on behalf of the center. ECVC is a member of the Coastal Plains Chapter of NCWTA.

The other nominees for the International Trade Award were: Anco-Eaglin, Inc., of Greensboro, North Carolina - Rick Eaglin, president (Triad Chapter); Barnhardt Manufacturing of Charlotte, North Carolina - Thomas L. Barnhardt, CEO (Charlotte Chapter); and Tubular Textile Machinery of Lexington, North Carolina - Bill Milligan, CEO (Triad Chapter).

Other nominees for the International Community Award were: Gaston Chamber of Commerce, Gastonia, North Carolina - John Bridgeman, CEO (Charlotte Chapter); Greensboro Export Assistance Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, Greensboro, North Carolina - John Schmonsees, international trade specialist (Triad Chapter); and the North Carolina Department of Commerce International Trade Division, Raleigh, North Carolina - Peter Cunningham, director (Triangle Chapter).

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