CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin presented the Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry to representatives of 49 West Virginia businesses. The award honors companies that have successfully exported to a new country in the past year.

Gov. Tomblin joined the West Virginia Export Council and the West Virginia Development Office on June 22 to commend the West Virginia companies.

“West Virginia businesses are competing in today’s marketplace, whether it is around the corner or around the world,” said Gov. Tomblin. “Our businesses, big and small, are succeeding in expanding their sales horizons to new markets, creating and retaining jobs here at home.”

West Virginia’s exports in 2010 reached a record level of $6.4 billion. The state’s 2010 exports grew by 33 percent over the previous year, outperforming the U.S. export growth rate of 21 percent. West Virginia’s all-time-high performance exceeded its previous record of $5.6 billion, set in 2008.

This award is based on the tradition of displaying the first dollar a business earns. The Governor’s Commendation for International Market Entry frames currency from each new country to which the recipient business began exporting in 2010.

The 49 companies honored this year matches the previous record set in 2009. Since its inception in 2002, the program has presented a total of 1,123 awards recognizing sales to 148 countries.

Putnam County businesses receiving Commendations this year were:

• Clark International Logistics LLC, Poca; Brazil; Thailand; Korea; Taiwan; Kenya

• Eagle Research Corp., Hurricane; China

Source: WV Commerce Department, www.wvcommerce.org