U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross presented Hydro-Thermal Corporation with the President’s “E” Star Award for Exports at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 21. The President’s “E” Star Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making ongoing significant contributions to the expansion of U.S. exports.

“Hydro-Thermal has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The ‘E’ Awards Committee was very impressed with Hydro-Thermal’s record of export growth to new markets since receiving the President’s ‘E’ Award in 2014. The company’s innovative product development process resulting in customization of products for new industries and export markets was particularly notable. Hydro-Thermal’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection.

Hydro-Thermal is the global leader in the manufacturing and design of industrial and sanitary steam heating solutions. Its patented heating system mixes steam and process liquids completely while delivering precise and consistent temperature, instantaneous heating, and no scaling or fouling of the product. Eighty years of steam heating expertise and innovation have led to the product’s presence in facilities in more than 85 countries around the world.

“Exports are consistently responsible for approximately one-third of Hydro-Thermal’s total sales annually. Buyers and consumers in foreign markets want quality products made in the United States, and we are proud to source more than 70 percent of our components from within 30 miles of our headquarters in Waukesha, Wisconsin,” said Jim Zaiser, Hydro-Thermal Corporation President and CEO. “We are honored to receive the “E” Star Award and have our commitment to U.S. quality and innovation recognized on such a grand scale.”

In total, Secretary Ross honored 43 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with a President’s “E” Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of our borders. The “E” Star Award is the more exclusive of the two levels of “E” Awards, with only eight companies selected to receive this highest tier of recognition for exports. A prerequisite for winning the “E” Star Award, is first winning the “E” Award, then continuing to grow a strong commitment to exports for an additional four years after receiving the initial “E” Award.

U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Department’s International Trade Administration. With offices across the United States and in embassies and consulates around the world, The International Trade Administration lends its expertise at every stage of the exporting process by promoting and facilitating exports and investment into the United States; administering Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties orders; and removing, reducing, or preventing foreign trade barriers.

U.S. exports totaled $2.33 trillion in 2017, accounting for 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Exports supported an estimated 10.7 million jobs nationwide in 2016, according to the most recent statistics from the International Trade Administration.

The “E” Awards came to be in 1961, when President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America's exporters. Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth in one or more international markets.

For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.

For more information about Hydro-Thermal’s rich award history, visit http://www.hydro-thermal.com/who-we-are/awards.