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NDTO News Article

Press Release: Legacy Steel Buildings, Trade Acceptance Group Receive Global Business Awards

BISMARCK, N.D. – Legacy Steel Buildings, a manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings headquartered in Fargo, ND, was named North Dakota’s 2012 Exporter of the Year on Tuesday.  Trade Acceptance Group (TAG), a financial services company that provides trade finance solutions, received the 2012 Service Provider of the Year award.  Gov. Jack Dalrymple 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 are an important part of our state’s economy, and we should recognize business leaders who play a major role in bringing our high-quality North Dakota products to consumers throughout the world,” Gov. Jack Dalrymple said.

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 2012, increase its export sales during the past year, and support the larger, statewide effort to expand North Dakota’s global reach.

Legacy has engineered steel buildings for more than 40 years, supplying rigid-frame steel buildings for industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, government and military building construction.  Today, Legacy ships to customers all over the globe.  In 2012 alone, they increased their exports by 70% and expanded into markets including Colombia, Bolivia and Australia.

The 2012 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.

TAG provides innovative trade finance solutions to exporters throughout the Midwest, including short-term insurance, working capital guarantees, and medium-term insurance and loan guarantees for foreign buyers.  Most recently, TAG has become an integral part of the The Export Enhancement Program, a new agreement between the Bank of North Dakota and Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), which provides high-quality low-risk loans to the North Dakota exporters.

Approximately 110 people participated in the 2013 Global Business Connections conference, which was sponsored by the North Dakota Trade Office and its network of international business partners on Feb. 19 at the Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck.  The event consisted of educational breakout sessions, a panel discussion with leading business professionals, a networking reception and a keynote address provided by international entrepreneur and business television correspondent, Troy Hazard.

NDTO is a member-based organization that provides education, research, advocacy, organization and leadership so that North Dakota companies can develop and expand their export business.  According to U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, North Dakota’s merchandise exports have grown over 325 percent since the conception of NDTO, from $1 billion in 2004 to $4.3 billion in 2012.