Red River Commodities, a food processing company with customers in 36 foreign nations was named on Monday North Dakota’s 2009 Exporter of the Year.
Gov. John Hoeven presented company president and CEO Bob Majkrzak and other employees of Red River Commodities the state’s top export award during the North Dakota Trade Office’s global business luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo. Midwest Motor Express, a shipping and logistics company based in Bismarck and Fargo, received the 2009 North Dakota Service to Exporters award for its commitment to helping North Dakota businesses succeed in the global marketplace.
“Honoring the state’s exporters and the business professionals that serve them is important because their innovation and pioneering spirit make a significant contribution to North Dakota’s economy,” Hoeven said. “Our businesses continue to succeed in the global marketplace, bringing jobs, revenue and economic opportunities to the state.”
Despite a weakened global economy and an increasingly competitive industry, Red River Commodities increased its exports of confection sunflowers, specialty grains and other food products by 18 percent last year.
Exports account for 41 percent of Red River Commodities’ sales of processed foods. Those sales help support the company’s local workforce of 175 people, many of which work at three North Dakota processing plants. The company’s exports also support the many farmers who deliver on production contracts. Red River Commodities also operates a processing plant in Kansas, another in Texas and an overseas marketing group in the Netherlands.
Hoeven presented the 2009 Service to Exporters award to Marlin Kling, president of Midwest Motor Express, Ron Martin, vice president of international logistics, and other company employees for their commitment to expanding North Dakota’s global business.
Midwest Motor Express has played a vital role in statewide efforts to improve North Dakota’s global shipping services. Ron Martin serves on a Department of Transportation committee that develops strategy and manages relationships with railroads and the world’s oceanic shipping companies to press for positive changes in intermodal shipping. Staff from Midwest Motor Express also served on a committee that secured foreign trade zone status within the city of Fargo. In addition, the transportation company serves as a clearing house, sourcing empty shipping containers for North Dakota exporters.
Finalists for the 2009 Exporter of the Year award were:
- Fisher Industries, Dickinson, N.D.
- SK Food International, Fargo, N.D.
- Roll-A-Ramp, West Fargo, N.D.
To meet the award’s criteria, North Dakota exporters were required to:
- Expand its business to a new international market in 2009
- Increase its export sales during 2009 and
- Support the larger, statewide effort to expand North Dakota’s global trade
Finalists for the 2009 Service to Exporters Award were:
- Jamestown-Stutsman Development Corporation, Jamestown
- Trade Acceptance Group, Ltd., Minneapolis
- Worldwide Trade Partners LLC, Fargo, Minneapolis
The award criteria require that candidates:
- Assist North Dakota exporters in the global marketplace
- Demonstrate a commitment to expanding North Dakota’s global trade
- Provide educational support and leadership to North Dakota exporters