Commerce honors 64 exporters and service providers with 2024 President's E and E Star Awards

The U.S. Department of Commerce presented the 2024 President's E Awards and E Star Awards on an afternoon program that brought together exporters, export-service providers and federal officials to recognize sustained export growth and support for U.S. companies entering foreign markets. Jim Goson, deputy director general of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, opened the ceremony and welcomed attendees to the department’s awards program.

The awards honor private-sector exporters and organizations that facilitate exports. Goson said the awards trace their origins to an executive order in 1961 establishing the President's E Award and a Secretary of Commerce authorization in 1969 that created the E Star Award for repeat recipients. He spelled out basic logistics for the procession and photography and asked attendees to silence phones before the presentation of Colors and the National Anthem, sung by Staff Sergeant Hannah Davis.

Deputy Under Secretary Diane Frell, who coordinates policy for the International Trade Administration, delivered the keynote-style remarks. Frell congratulated recipients, calling them “the crème de la crème” and “the superstars,” and highlighted aggregate export results from recent awardees: "From 2020 to 2024 the E Award winners being recognized today ... have contributed more than three and a half billion dollars to the U.S. economy through your exports of goods and services." She illustrated the awards with brief examples, naming repeat winners such as Sunnen Products Company, Hydrothermal, Ace Pump Corporation, American Trading International (ATI) and Walton & Post, and praised state and local partners such as the New Jersey Office of Export Promotion and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for their role in supporting exporters.

The ceremony formally recognized 64 recipients across multiple categories. Goson presented the President's E Award for exports to 26 exporter recipients who had made “significant contributions to the expansion of export trade” over the prior four years. The program then awarded the President's E Award for export service to 10 organizations that facilitate exports through market research, trade missions, counseling and related services. The E Star Awards followed: 12 exporters were recognized for continued export growth since their original E Award, and 11 export-service organizations were honored for sustained contributions.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized the awards’ practical impact on employers and communities, urging winners to share their export success to inspire other U.S. companies. Organizers noted repeat honorees among both private companies and state export-promotion offices; several recipient organizations reported substantial percentages of revenue from exports or multi-decade histories of exporting.

The program closed with further acknowledgments — including Congressional staff in attendance — and an announcement that the next portion of the event would include a special video and remarks from the Secretary of Commerce. Attendees were invited to remain seated for the next presentation.

Proper names and program details in this report come from officials’ remarks and the ceremony sequence as delivered on stage.