RICHMOND—The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) today announced the acceptance of 12 companies into its two-year Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program. The VALET program assists companies in the Commonwealth that are committed to international exporting as a growth strategy. To participate, each business must meet both quantitative and qualitative selection criteria, and participating firms are chosen based on their dedication to growing export sales. To date, 378 Virginia companies have been accepted to participate in the VALET program.

The companies joining the VALET program include:

  • BIO-CAT, Inc. (Louisa County)
  • Butler Parachute Systems, Inc. (City of Roanoke)
  • Cadence, Inc. (City of Staunton)
  • CHEMetrics (Fauquier County)
  • eKare (Fairfax County)
  • ESS Technologies, Inc. (Montgomery County)
  • Flight Test Aerospace (Fairfax County)
  • Hooker Furniture, Inc. (City of Martinsville)
  • KRISS USA Inc. (City of Chesapeake)
  • MELD Manufacturing Corporation (Montgomery County)
  • StoreYourBoard (Fluvanna County)
  • The Virginia Beer Company (York County)

“The VALET program has a solid track record of helping Virginia businesses increase export sales, contributing to economic growth with jobs and capital investment and ensuring that the Commonwealth remains competitive in the global marketplace,” said VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret. “Companies are seeking growth opportunities more than ever post-pandemic, and we are proud to offer a proven resource like VALET to Virginia exporters to help propel their international sales efforts.”

Currently, the VALET program has 48 companies as participants. The program provides participating companies with export planning services and assistance from a team of experienced international service providers to help meet the companies’ international business goals. These private sector service providers contribute essential expertise to assist companies in executing export plans and include attorneys, web designers, bankers, translators, accountants, and freight forwarders.

The Commonwealth of Virginia exports more than $35 billion in goods and services annually. Exports of Virginia’s products and services to the world are vital to the growth of the Commonwealth, supporting more than 257,000 jobs and generating $2 billion in annual tax revenue. VEDP offers numerous programs to assist Virginia companies with selling into the global marketplace and has a network of international market research consultants covering more than 75 countries around the globe.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion, and international trade development.

For more information on the VALET Program, visit https://exportvirginia.org/service/programs-and-grants. 

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Nicole Hansen