FARGO, N.D. – Amity Technology, an industry-leading firm specializing in agriculture machinery headquartered in Fargo, ND, was named North Dakota’s 2013 Exporter of the Year on April 29 for their international expansion and support to the state’s export community. Dakota MEP, a nonprofit dedicated to helping North Dakota companies improve business results through continuous development, received the 2013 Service Provider of the Year award for their support in growing North Dakota exports. Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley presented the awards during the Global Business Awards ceremony at the Global Business Connections conference, the annual international business event hosted by the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO).
“Exports play an increasingly-important role in our state’s economy, and it’s important that we recognize our local businesses – including as Amity Technology and Dakota MEP – that are dedicated to bringing North Dakota’s high-quality products to consumers around the world and helping to further-diversify our state’s strong economy,” said Lt. Gov. Wrigley, chairman of the NDTO Board of Directors.
The Exporter of the Year Award is presented to one North Dakota business each year. To win the award, the business had to expand to a new international market in 2013, increase its export sales during the past year, and support the larger, statewide effort to expand North Dakota’s global reach.
Amity Technology is a fourth-generation company that follows the proud tradition of a family that has been involved in the manufacturing business in North Dakota for more than 75 years. Howard and Brian Dahl, the founders of Amity, are grandsons of E. G. Melroe, the founder of the Melroe Company, developer of the Bobcat® skid steer loader. Amity Technology manufactures the WIC Sugar Beet Equipment line, and is the leader in North America and Russia in sugar beet harvesters and defoliators. They are also partners in the AGCO-Amity JV which is based in Wahpeton, ND producing seeding and tillage equipment. In the last decade, Amity has exported over $300 million in products to more than 25 markets around the world.
The 2013 Service to Exporters Award is given to the international business resource which has demonstrated exceptional commitment to supporting North Dakota exporters and increasing the state’s overall international business strategy.
Dakota MEP provides companies with the tools to improve business results through continuous innovation and development of people. The organization started in 2001 as a non-profit (501(c)(3)) and is an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership – the nation’s largest business assistance network dedicated to developing domestic manufacturing and related industries. With the help of Dakota MEP, North Dakota companies have reported $459M in benefits and impacts and 2,733 jobs created or retained from 678 improvement projects
Approximately 150 people took part in the 2014 Global Business Connections conference, which is sponsored by the North Dakota Trade Office and its network of international business partners and was held on April 29 and 30 at the Ramada Plaza Suites, Fargo. The annual event consists of educational breakout sessions, panel discussions with leading business professionals, a networking reception and a keynote address. This year’s keynotes addresses were provided by Mark King, CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf, and Rudy Maxa, host of the Emmy-Award winning travel series “Rudy Maxa’s World”.