Saginaw, Michigan – Duperon Corporation will be honored on Friday, February 8, 2008, with the receipt of an Export Achievement Certificate at a presentation of the International Business Forum and U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Dearborn, Michigan.
The Export Achievement Certificate was created to recognize those small- and medium-sized businesses that have successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time or broken into a new market. In September 2005, Duperon Corporation was contacted by Genesis Energy, a hydroelectric firm located in New Zealand. The company sought Duperon’s assistance with an infestation of a non-native plant, the hornwort, that was clogging water flow at the plant’s intakes. The overgrowth of the plant created major issues for the company’s hydroelectric power output, resulting in loss of generation and fines. Genesis Energy’s lead engineer traveled to the United States to further research Duperon’s solutions and equipment, and in 2006 ten of Duperon’s Self-Cleaning Trashracks were installed, ensuring the ability to generate energy at the plant when demanded.
U.S. Commerical Services worked with Duperon throughout the process of opening this new market: arranging appointments with local banks, associations and consultants for the initial research trip; and providing information on the local economy, including the further potential of hydroelectric and wastewater markets. “The U.S. Commercial Services were instrumental in giving Duperon the knowledge, the connections, the resources, and the confidence to complete our first export opportunity in New Zealand,” said Sarah Bernier, Duperon Corporation Sales & Marketing Manager.
Duperon Corporation was nominated for the honor by Sara Coulter Canty, Director of the Detroit U.S. Export Assistance Center. Coulter Canty worked closely with Duperon Corporation in this market-opening venture, from the initial discussion of potential business to the execution of contract agreements. Accepting for Duperon Corporation is Duperon’s Sales & Marketing Manager, Sarah Bernier.
Duperon Corporation is an engineering/manufacturing firm providing treatment solutions for municipal and industrial applications. The company has been located in Saginaw, Michigan since its first products came to market in 1979. Duperon Corporation products include such innovations as the Self-Cleaning Trashrack, the FlexRake®, compactors, conveyance systems, and other municipal and industrial water treatment solutions equipment. Application areas include stormwater, wastewater, pump stations, industrial intakes, and fish screening.