Company honored for global trade

Alliance Rubber Co. of Hot Springs was honored Wednesday with the Annual Governor’s Award for Excellence in Global Trade for medium size manufacturers.

“It’s a big feather in our cap because it’s a reminder that what we’re doing is paying off,” Jason Risner, Strategic Marketing manager for Alliance, said Friday.

“International sales are growing and are about 9 percent of our total sales volume right now. By 2015, we expect to have it at about 15 percent.

“We have made a commitment to going out, finding areas and leads, and running those leads down and growing international sales, especially in South and Central America,” he said.

“This is the fourth annual award ceremony that they’ve had like this and we consider it very big because we have put

a big emphasis on growing our international sales and our export business.”

The award is coordinated through the Arkansas District Export Council and honors Arkansas companies that have excelled in the international marketplace, a news release says.

Alliance was evaluated by a selection committee made up of Arkansas District Export Council members.

The award highlights the company for developing innovative ideas and approaches to doing business internationally, demonstrating growth in international business over the past three years — with the continued likelihood of growth, and increasing employment in Arkansas as a result of the company’s international expansion and increased trade activities, the release said.

Risner said Alliance has increased its labor force for international sales and the increased international sales have allowed the company “to support the jobs that we have now.”

“I think, overall, in the last three years we’ve grown a little bit in employees, but sales have grown and that allows us to keep the people we have employed,” he said.

Risner said the company has about 150 employees.

In addition to the Excellence in Global Trade award, Alliance received the Made in USA Certified Product Innovation of the Year Award on May 14, which was presented at the Ninth Annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Palm Beach, Fla.

The award honors Alliance for “exhibiting excellence in USA manufacturing best practices and standards,” the release said.

The company was also evaluated on its contribution to job creation in the United States and accurate labeling.

“Alliance Rubber was selected for its significant advance in products, including design, implementation, product performance and market acceptance,” Julie Reiser, co- founder of Made in USA Certified, said in the release.