Our 2020 Commendation for International Market Entry award winners have spent time and effort to pursue global sales and this award recognizes their commitment to exporting.

For some of these exporters, such as Schonstedt Instrument Company, also a WV First STEP- Next STEP client, the commitment to exports includes a humanitarian component. The company has an option to purchase one of their underground locators to donate, and they will match this donation, to the demining efforts through the United Nation Mine Action Service. This program, to date, has donated more than 500 Schonstedt magnetic locators to 28 countries to find and remove unexploded mines in war torn areas.   

Peacock Manufacturing Company, headquartered in Connecticut, goes the by the brand name Christopher Peacock. Custom designing high-end cabinetry for their elite clientele’s gourmet kitchens and walk in closets, the company boasts showrooms in some of the world’s most exclusive destinations, such as Cannes, Sydney, and London. All manufactured in West Virginia, Christopher Peacock participated in the State of West Virginia’s Pavilion at the AIA Conference on Architecture which was funded in part through the WV First STEP-Next STEP Program, and continues to show their commitment to export with the recent openings of their showrooms in Jakarta and Singapore.

A hardwood furniture company, Caperton Furnitureworks, has been owned and operated by Gat Caperton for almost 25 years. The company sells their fine Appalachian hardwood furniture to international customers in 61 different markets, but do not be surprised if you also see their Gat Creek label on pieces in U.S. Embassies and consulates around the world. With a commitment to lean manufacturing principles and sustainability, they have Silver Exemplary Status according to the Sustainable Furnishings Council, Gat Creek continues to excel as an American made furniture company in the global marketplace.

Our other distinguished winners from the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia include:

• C2M Consulting, a cyber security firm in Charles Town working in South America in the financial sector

• Growth Media Services a film company in Shepherdstown which produces movies and tv shows shown on PBS and other networks

• Washington Homeopathic Products, which advocates for the use of herbal and homeopathic remedies manufactured in their Berkeley Springs headquarters

• Thermo Tech of Keyser, a manufacturer of belt heaters used in cold climates for mining and other related industries