Lycus awarded the Governor’s Award for 2017 Arkansas Rising Star
LITTLE ROCK — Lycus Ltd. of El Dorado, was honored to receive the Governor’s Award for Rising Star at the eighth annual Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Global Trade on May 24, hosted by the Arkansas District Export Council.
Lycus employs 22 people in the industrial area in El Dorado and manufactures ultraviolet absorbers using benzophenone chemistry and sells the UVA’s all over the world. Further, Lycus is the only domestic producer in this niche market and is committed to continue pursuit of international customers in the green-friendly environment, according to John Sinclair, owner and chief executive officer of Lycus.
He said ultraviolet absorbers are required in almost every product on the market and serve to protect both the product and consumer from the sun’s harmful rays. Lycus has been fortunate enough to increase sales in the international markets from approximately 8 percent to approximately 17.5 percent of total sales the past two years through intense marketing efforts and website renovation. That trend continues in the current year, Sinclair said.
The awards luncheon was held at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. Governor Asa Hutchinson presented this year’s awards to the winning companies in the categories of Arkansas Rising Star, Advanced Technologies & STEM, and small, medium and large manufacturer exporters. The key note speaker for the event was Walmart executive, Maggie Sans.
Hutchinson said, “Trade is vitally important for Arkansas. Increasing exports of Arkansasmade and Arkansas-grown products results in two excellent outcomes. It produces extra capital for companies to invest in their facilities and creates new employment opportunities for Arkansans.”
The Arkansas District Export Council is a non-profit organization comprised of members of Arkansas’s exporting community. ArDEC members are appointed by the secretary of commerce and actively encourage manufacturers across the state to consider exporting as a realistic opportunity for growth. The ArDEC strives to tear down barriers to exporting, by providing guidance, training and connections that make the prospect of entering new markets less daunting.