All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Governor honors 31 West Virginia businesses exporting to new markets

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In a ceremony Friday, 31 West Virginia companies were presented with the Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry Award. The commendation recognizes businesses that exported to a new country for the first time during the previous year.

“As we export more West Virginia products to the world, the world sees just how good West Virginia really is,” said Gov. Jim Justice. “These companies are our ambassadors, and we all should be so proud of their work.”

Each company receives a framed piece of currency from each new country to which the business began exporting. The presentation is based on the tradition of displaying the first dollar a business earns.

The award presentation was held in the Governor’s Reception Room in the State Capitol. The event was immediately followed by a reception in the Governor’s Mansion.

The West Virginia companies exported an eclectic mix of products that included aluminum, bottled tea, hydraulic torque wrench, loadout systems, plastic compounds, threads and truck parts.

In cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service and the West Virginia Export Council, West Virginia Development Office offers export assistance such as:

• Research to help a company determine whether a foreign market makes a good fit with its product or service.
• Trade shows and missions to dynamic markets.
• Connect exporters with freight forwarders, backers, translators and other service providers.

The West Virginia Development Office International Division helps small- to medium-sized West Virginia businesses enter new foreign markets. For more information
about West Virginia Development Office international services, visit the West Virginia Department of Commerce Exporting Assistance.

Commendations were awarded to the following businesses:

Berkeley County

Doc’s Tea, Inwood. Country Australia, Brazil, China. Product: Bottled tea beverages.

Mountaineer Brand, Martinsburg. Country: Germany, Italy, Singapore. Product: Natural handmade beard care, healing salves, balms.

Brooke County

American Muscle Docks and Fabrication, Wellsburg. Country: Cayman Islands, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Romania, Togo, Turks and Caicos Islands. Product: Floating boat docks, dock hardware, marina accessories and metal fabrication goods.

Cabell County

Hill Tree Roastery, Huntington. County: Israel. Product: Locally roasted whole bean coffee.

Nippon Tungsten USA, Barboursville. Country: Germany, Italy, Nigeria. Product: Rotary die cutter, regrinding service for rotary die cutters.

Rubberlite, Huntington. Country: Singapore. Product: HyPUR-cel® rubber products.

Steel of West Virginia, Huntington. Country: Belgium. Product: Channels and I-beams.

Tri-State Coating and Machine Company, Salt Rock. Country: Argentina, Vietnam.
Product: Thermal coatings.

Greenbrier County

Falcon Analytical Systems & Technology, Lewisburg. Country: Switzerland. Product: CALIDUS™ Gas Chromatograph.

Jackson County

Appalachian Distillery, Ripley. Country: Germany. Product: Distilled spirits; alcohol.

Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, Ravenswood. Country: Malaysia. Product: Aluminum coil, sheet and plate products.

Mustang Sampling, Ravenswood. Country: Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, Netherlands, South Korea, Vietnam. Product: Sample conditioning systems for the natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquified natural gas industry.

Niche Polymer, Ravenswood. Country: Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam. Product: Plastic compounding.

Jefferson County

Dura Trac Flooring, Kearneysville. Country: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria. Product: Special event flooring.

Growth Media Productions, Shepherdstown. Country: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Product: Television programming and films.

Schonstedt Instrument Company, Kearneysville. Country: Bulgaria, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea. Product: Underground locators-magnetic and pipe/cable locators.

Kanawha County

Industrial Bolting Technologies, Charleston. Country: Azerbaijan, Italy, Oman, Qatar, Uruguay. Product: TorsionX hydraulic torque wrench product line.

Preiser Scientific, Saint Albans. Country: Mozambique. Product: Laboratory supplies.

Lincoln County

Stoneza Inc. dba Wood Globe, Alum Creek. Country: Egypt, Vietnam. Product: Log and lumber.

Marshall County

Best Business Strategies, Glen Dale. Country: Dominican Republic, Guyana, Mauritius, Netherlands, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka. Product: Sage 50 Accounting software and remote support.

Tecnocap, Glen Dale. Country: China, Colombia, New Zealand, Uruguay. Product: Metal closures.

Monongalia County

Gurkees, Morgantown. Country: Belgium, Bermuda, Philippines. Product: Rope sandals.

Morgan County

Caperton Furnitureworks, Berkeley Springs. Country: Austria, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Grenada, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Republic of Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates. Product: Hardwood furniture.

Washington Homeopathic Products, Berkeley Springs. Country: Burkina Faso, Mauritius. Product: Homeopathic medicine.

Ohio County

Direct Online Marketing, Wheeling. Country: Finland. Product: Digital marketing and advertising.

TROY Group, Wheeling. Country: Guinea-Bissau, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Caledonia. Product: Security printing solutions

Wheeling Truck Center, Wheeling. Country: Algeria, Vietnam. Product: Truck parts.

Putnam County

Alpha Technologies, Hurricane. Country: Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Product: Information Technology: LAN support, WAN support, network site survey, configuration of network routers and switches.

Kanawha Scales and Systems, Poca. Country: Algeria. Product: Loadout systems.

Multicoat Products, Frazier’s Bottom. Country: Guatemala, Romania. Product: Construction coatings.

Wood County

Kreinik Manufacturing Company, Parkersburg. Country: Northern Ireland, Sweden. Product: High-end metallic threads, yarns, braids; silk yarns and threads for embroidery, costume, interior design and fly fishing.

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