Nova Scotia's Top Exporters

Nova Scotia's top exporters are being honoured today at the 15th annual Nova Scotia Export Achievement Awards in Halifax.

Clear Picture Corp. and Math Resources Inc., two Halifax-based information technology firms, are co-winners of the New Exporter Award.

Clear Picture is also the recipient of the first Global Opportunity Award, sponsored by MTT, which matches a growing company with an MBA student for a summer work term. This year, Neil Freake of Saint Mary's University will work with Clear Picture to design, collect and interpret survey data over the Internet for international clients.

Maurice Guitton, executive vice-president of Composites Atlantic Ltd. in Lunenburg, will be honoured for Individual Outstanding Contribution to the Export Market.

Survival Systems Ltd. of Dartmouth will receive the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Export Market by a Company.

Rainbow Farms of Rawdon is the recipient of an award for Innovation in Exporting, while the Export Growth Award goes to ECI Medical Technologies Ltd. of Bridgewater.

"These export winners are growing their companies and making an important contribution to our economy," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

Statistics Canada figures indicate that Nova Scotia's merchandise exports grew by 8.2 per cent in 1998, double the growth rate of the previous two years combined and better than the national average of 5.1 per cent. The increase represents $750 million in out-of-province sales for Nova Scotia companies.

"Increasing exports is one of our economic priorities in Nova Scotia, and we're well on our way to far exceeding last year's totals," said Mr. MacDonald. "To date, we've led eight missions into New England alone, and already we're seeing big returns -" $71 million in sales and commitments for small and medium-sized companies. For many of these companies, the mission represented their first attempt at exporting."

The minister noted that the sales from these trade missions are creating or maintaining 1,300 jobs in the province. And these jobs are generating $6 million in tax revenues. "For every dollar we invest in a trade mission, we get $12 back for our schools and health care system."

The awards program is sponsored by Economic Development and Tourism. The awards are based on reported export sales for 1998.

1999 NOVA SCOTIA EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS

NEW EXPORT --Clear Picture Corp.; Math Resources Inc.

Clear Picture Corp. has pioneered and championed the Internet survey world with systems that are being used in 43 countries. Its three-module software suite allows companies to design, collect, analyse and interpret survey data in record speed. Clear Picture's software conducts simultaneous multiple surveys and can handle performance in up to 20 languages. "Pick a niche market that you can focus on and be the best in that market," says company president Terry Norman. "From our experience, that will pay off." Cited as one of the Top 10 Internet companies operating in the United States today, Clear Picture will open sales offices in Washington, New York and San Francisco in 1999 to accommodate increased demands for its unique survey systems.

The innovative products and services of Math Resources Inc. have found their way to Europe, the United States, India and other parts of Asia. "Once we were in a position to sell, we discovered that being in Nova Scotia was a big, big benefit," says president Ron Fitzgerald. From the company's Halifax location, Math Resources has led the field in developing proprietary math education software through collaboration with expert mathematicians and computer scientists. The products are developed using its own source code, which means they can claim remarkable capabilities and superior robustness in the marketplace. Recently, the company entered into an alliance with the electronic manufacturing giant CASIO in an exciting project to develop software for a handheld computer.

INNOVATION IN EXPORTING --Rainbow Farms Ltd.

Bud Weatherhead, president of Rainbow Farms Ltd., knows the importance of being in a global market culture. This family-run business operates from Rawdon in Hants County and is a major exporter of wild blueberries. The company employs more than 200 people during peak seasons. It has tripled the size of its facility and expanded twice to accommodate increased product demands. Rainbow Farms processes the blueberries with a flotation and sugar system followed by a quick-freeze method and careful packaging. Mr. Weatherhead reports: "If it wasn't for exporting, we would probably be going six weeks at the most. Now we're going seven or eight months." Focused on high standards and excellence, the company is renowned for berry quality and freshness.

EXPORT GROWTH --ECI Medical Technologies Ltd.

Owners and employees of ECI Medical Technologies Ltd. are front and centre on the world stage of trade and commerce. Company president Keith Boulter notes with pride: "We're building something here in Nova Scotia and shipping around the world. We can compete with anyone." Located in Bridgewater, ECI Medical Technologies manufactures surgical gloves for health-care practitioners and patients with allergies. This growing business is in the forefront of the industry as witnessed by a 2,050-square-metre (22,000-square-foot) expansion and an increase of research and development staff to eight. The year 1998 was a banner year as export values tripled and the company's German distributor offered to take an equity position in ECI Medical Technologies because it was so impressed with product quality.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE EXPORT MARKET BY A COMPANY --
Survival Systems Ltd.

The growth and success of Survival Systems Ltd. is stunning. Spanning 17 years, the company has grown from two employees in a 5.5-square-metre (60-square-foot) office to a staff of 94, more than 2,800 square metres (30,000 square feet) of office space and a $1.5-million payroll. From its Dartmouth headquarters in the Woodside Ocean Industries Park, Survival System leads the world in the development and delivery of safety survival training programs and simulation training devices for the industrial, offshore aviation and marine industries. In 1998, export sales were up more than 100 per cent from the previous year. "There's no secret recipe," president Albert Bohemier says. "You have to pack your bags, get on a plane and go south. It's that simple." This can-do approach has led the company to export activities in all directions to five continents. Survival Systems operates seven subsidiary companies, in Scotland, the United States and Canada, and in 1999 it will incorporate a company in Brazil.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE EXPORT MARKET BY AN INDIVIDUAL --
Maurice Guitton

In less than a decade, executive vice-president Maurice Guitton has positioned Composites Atlantic Ltd. as a world leader in the high-tech industry. He has grown the Lunenburg-based company from a staff of 20 to more than 100 people who design and manufacture advanced composites for the aeronautics, space, defence and commercial high-tech industries. Commenting on the proximity of Nova Scotia to U.S. and European markets, he says: "It's a very good place in the world to be, to market our product." He adds: "The future will be made by people who team together and who trade products together." Mr. Guitton is a founding member of the Aerospace Industry Association of Nova Scotia and currently serves as president. Highly respected in the aerospace industry, he is admired for inspiring quality workmanship and is described by colleagues as an ambassador for Nova Scotia.

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY --Clear Picture Corp. and Neil Freake Combine a world-class company that is on the cutting edge of information technology and a talented MBA student with a broad understanding of the same industry --who is also experienced in the international marketplace --and everyone wins. Clear Picture Corp. is the recipient of the Global Opportunity Award and Neil Freake is the lucky Saint Mary's candidate who was matched with this young and dynamic company for a summer work term. Global opportunities for both Clear Picture and Neal Freake are on the horizon.

arc May 18, 1999m 4:25 p.m.