Loudoun aerospace company, PAE ISR, recently completed the one-year, competitive Virginia Global Defense grant program. This program is designed to help aerospace, security and defense companies expand into foreign markets, and this year, PAE ISR participated in six of Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s trade shows and missions.
PAE ISR is the 10th Loudoun company to receive assistance from VEDP in order to expand company profiles and overseas business marketing. This led to PAE ISR also being invited to join VEDP’s premier export acceleration program, the VALET program.
Also Read: PAE ISR Showcases Loudoun at the 2019 Paris Air Show
VALET is an acronym for Virginia Leaders in Export & Trade. Since the program’s inception in 2002, participants in VALET have collectively, on average, increased their export sales by 56 percent by the end of their stay in the two-year program.
“The VALET program is a remarkable resource for companies looking to expand internationally,” said Beth Beach, the vice president of business development for PAE ISR. “The depth of resources and expertise available demonstrates Virginia’s commitment to supporting its businesses and growing Virginia’s exports.”
The Loudoun recipients of the VALET program have received anywhere from $10,000 – 30,000 in assistance for overseas promotion of their companies, greatly increasing Loudoun’s global market outreach.
With Loudoun’s international presence increasing steadily over the years, other international companies are opening offices here, and more companies that are already here are greatly expanding their markets into overseas offices.
Some of Loudoun’s VALET alumni businesses had this to say about the program:
“Nedia’s participation in the VALET program helped us grow our international business a lot more than what we could have achieved on our own. The BDM who worked with us was very dedicated, knowledgeable and facilitated meeting potential customers for our line of biodegradable soil erosion control products. I highly recommend the VALET program to any company seriously considering international business development.”
– Siby Pothen, P.E, CEO, Nedia Enterprises, Inc.
“Since 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the U.S., the VALET program is a very valuable resource for companies to expand their client base. Both Loudoun’s and Virginia’s commitment to international business growth is demonstrated by the resources spent on helping companies grow their outreach by international programs like Virginia’s VALET program. The VALET program was very instrumental during a crucial period in our international expansion and growth.”
– Mike Ross, President & CEO, Euclid Systems Corporation
We, here at Loudoun Economic Development, are very proud of our international companies and their ever-growing global market outreach.
To find out how your company may be eligible for VALET program participation, please contact Ellen Meinhart from VEDP.
