Laurel Company Named Montana Exporter of the Year
HELENA – The Montana District Export Council (DEC) announced today it is awarding the 2021 Montana Exporter of the Year award to Wood’s Powr-Grip of Laurel. This is the 25th anniversary of the DEC and the award.Governor Greg Gianforte is scheduled to present the award to Wood’s Powr-Grip on May 4 at the Montana World Trade Center’s International Trade & Investment Day in Missoula. A second celebration is planned for May 26 at Wood’s Powr-Grip in Laurel.
“The Montana District Export Council is pleased to present this year’s Exporter of the Year Award to Woods Powr-Grip,” said DEC Chair Dianna Kegel. “Very few Montana companies have made more of an impact in our state than Woods Powr-Grip. Born in 1963 in a tiny space in Wolf Point, this family-owned company’s products have been used in virtually every major metropolitan city in the world.”
Wood’s Powr-Grip sells vacuum hand cups and vacuum lifters for material handling. The company has maintained more than 135 employees since 2019, even during the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages. Its exports topped $5.4 million in 2021. Most of its product value (95%) is added in Montana; its export growth over the past several years has primarily been through exports to the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Finland, Australia, Japan, Brazil, India, Sweden, and Denmark.
“As a member of the Montana District Export Council for nearly four years, I have come to realize how high the caliber of manufacturing is in our state,” said Barry Woods, Vice-President of Marketing for Wood’s Powr-Grip. “The level of high-tech products and the innovation that clearly went into their development has been eye-opening. Knowing this makes receiving this recognition quite an honor.”
For more information about the Montana DEC Exporter of the Year award, click here.
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