Malco Products Inc, started September off with a really nice surprise when the U.S. Department of Commerce presented an Export Achievement Award to Malco at the company’s headquarters in Annandale, Minnesota. The Export Achievement Award recognizes small and medium-sized enterprises that have successfully entered the Commerce Department’s U.S. Commercial Service.
Congressman Tom Emmer of Edina, MN and Matthew D. Woodlee, a Senior Trade Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service Minnesota, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, were on hand at Malco on September 1 and presented the award to Paul Keymer, Malco CEO and Mardon Quandt, Malco President.
Malco has been a client of the U.S. Commercial Service for over 10 years and currently exports products to Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Collaborations with the US. Commercial Service in recent years include the establishment of Malco’s first European distribution warehouse in Helsinki, Finland.
The U.S. Commercial Service also helped facilitate the use of third party firms to conduct opportunity research in the construction market segments of the United Kingdom and Australia. A subsequent collaboration with the Commercial Service introduced Malco to the Council of Great Lakes Governors which set up contacts for direct Malco field research in Australia for both the construction and automotive markets. These experiences, market insights gained and product ideas generated resulted in the establishment of a second distribution warehouse in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg as well as entry into the Australian automotive market and product line expansions for the construction markets in Western Europe and Australia including: the introduction in Europe of a Malco TurboShear Drill Attachment for cutting roof slate; and a corrugated metal roofing TurboShear for the Australian construction market.
Malco’s emphasis on market and product diversity has helped to maintain approximately 140 jobs in the lake country surrounding the town of Annandale in central Minnesota.
Malco certainly appreciates the recognition from the Commercial Service and sends a big thank you to Matthew D. Woodlee and Congressman Emmer for making the trip out to visit us.
