TOLEDO, OH – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited the SSOE Group in Toledo today to present the company with an Export Achievement Certificate from the U.S. Department of Commerce and to discuss efforts to increase Ohio exports. Brown, one of three Democratic Senators appointed to serve on the President’s Export Council, discussed his role on the Council and detailed the National Export Initiative, a five-year plan designed to double American exports.
“When it comes to exports, most people think about the manufacturing of goods—which is critical to Ohio’s economic health. But we can’t afford to overlook the export of services, which is exactly what SSOE specializes in—and why they’ve been recognized as a model for exporters,” said Brown. “As a member of the President’s Export Council, I’m working to help Ohio businesses expand to emerging markets overseas and to double the number of American exports over the next five years. Simply put, more exports means more Ohio jobs.”
“But promoting the value of exporting to new markets is not enough. The United States must enforce trade laws and address predatory trade practices carried out by other countries like China. If we want to double exports and create jobs, we must take steps to address unfair trade practices—like currency manipulation—that put American workers and businesses at a competitive disadvantage,” Brown continued.
SSOE Group is an international architecture, engineering, and construction management firm. Among other services, it designs sustainable and renewable buildings, including the first LEED-Gold certified facility in Ohio.
The Export Achievement Certificate from the U.S. Department of Commerce was created to recognize small- and medium-sized enterprises and organizations that have successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time.
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