Exporter of the
Year
On June 4th, 2002 Butler
National Corporation received the honor of being named Kansas
Exporter of the Year.
NEWS RELEASE JUNE 4, 2002 FROM KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
& HOUSING/BILL GRAVES-GOVERNOR, GARY SHERRER-LT. GOVERNOR/SECRETARY
June 4, 2002
Contact: Sally Lunsford (785) 296-2477
EMBARGOED UNTIL 7:30P.M. JUNE 4
GOVERNOR GRAVES ANNOUNCES EXPORTER
OF THE YEAR
The 2002 Kansas
Governor's Exporter of the Year is Butler National
Corporation of Olathe. Governor
Graves made the announcement tonight at the Kansas Cosmophere
and Space Center in Hutchinson during the Kansas Cavalry Encampment.
The Exporter of the Year program, now in its 14th year, is
co-sponsored by the Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing
(KDOC&H) and the Kansas International Trade Coordinating
Council.
Founded in 1969, Butler National
Corporation achieved success in the international marketplace
by diversifying its products and being responsive to customers
needs. The Company makes aviation safety products and
modifies aircraft. Butler began exporting in 1980.
Its export sales, which have soared 600 percent in the past
year, now account for over 80 percent of its total revenues.
The company recently started selling to China, Yemen, and
Pakistan, and now markets in 20 countries throughout the world.
"International trade has a
direct and positive impact on the prosperity, jobs and overall
health of the Kansas economy," said Governor Graves.
"I am delighted to recognize companies, such as Butler
National Corporation, that are committed to pursuing new business
in the global market."
The other finalists for this year's
Exporter of the Year award were: AIB International (a
subsidiary of the American Institute of Baking), Manhatten;
Bushnell Performance Optics, Overland Park; Kustom Signals,
Lenexa; and RHS, Inc., Hiawatha.
Award applications were received
and reviewed by officials in the Trade Development Division
of the KDOC&H. Members of the Kansas International
Trade Coordinating Council, an organization comprised of both
public and private business entities, selected the finalists.
For more information, contact Sally
Lunsford at (785) 296-2477, e-mail slunsford@kansascommerce.com,
or TTY (Hearing Impaired) at (785) 296-3487.
The KDOC&H is the state's lead
economic development organization, responsible for ensuring
economic opportunities for all Kansans.
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