The Maine International Trade Center (MITC) recognized companies including Hancock Lumber Co. and Falcon Performance Footwear for their contributions to the state’s international business community.
At an all-day seminar in Rockport for a crowd of almost 300 people, MITC hosted speakers such as Cesar Hidalgo from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and faculty associate at Harvard University’s Center for International Development.
In 2011, Maine exported a record $3.4 billion, a more than 9 percent increase from 2010. Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais spoke about how expanding global markets can lead to more jobs here at home. Maine has about 2,000 companies that export, Gervais said.
Awardees included Hancock Lumber Co., Exporter of the Year; Bernstein Shur, Service Provider of the Year; Falcon Performance Footwear, Innovator of the Year; Molnlycke Health Care, Foreign Direct Investor of the Year; German Consulate General in Boston, President’s Award; and Catherine Collins, Future Global Leader Award.
Maine International Trade Day, which was themed was “Better by Design: Innovation for Global Markets,” was held at the Samoset Resort.
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