Press Release
U.S. EDA Promotes Exports in Pennsylvania
September 22, 2011
Contact: John Atwood, (202) 482-4085
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced a $200,000 grant to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, and the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Pittsburgh, Pa., to support the TechExport program to further efforts to aid small- and medium-technology companies in a 52 county region of Pennsylvania to enter and thrive in the export marketplace.
"Improving our Nation's competitiveness by helping small- and medium-sized companies enter the export market is a top priority for President Obama who has pledged to double American exports by 2015," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez. "This investment will educate, expose, and launch a large pool of companies into the international market place, setting the stage for long term growth and global expansion."
"Assisting Pennsylvania's tech entrepreneurs' growth and success through the provision of targeted assistance that will result in an increase in export trade and corresponding increases in job opportunities and private investment in the Commonwealth is a win-win outcome for everybody" said Peter O'Neill, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Center for Trade Development.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has determined that small- and medium-sized enterprises that engage in export activities experience faster economic growth and are more resilient during economic downturns due to having a broader economic base. The TechExport program will provide a range of services, delivered through a network of partner organizations, to increase export activity among small- and medium-sized businesses. The program will also establish an Expert Hot Line concept that will link business to information resources.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov):
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.