By Kimberly Peterson
The Journal Gazette
A paintball manufacturer and asphalt equipment manufacturer received exporter of the year awards today at the Fort Wayne International Trade Conference luncheon.
Because the 2006 Fort Wayne International Trade Conference was canceled last October because of a scheduling conflict, this year’s conference presented both the 2005 and the 2006 exporter of the year awards.
For 2005, Tippmann Sports won the award. The paintball company increased its exports from 5 percent in 2004 to 8 percent in 2005, a 65 percent increase. And Tippmann Sports has continued exporting, increasing the company’s international exports last year to 16 percent of its sales.
Asphalt Drum Mixers Inc. won the award for 2006. The company has more than 840 manufacturing plants in more than 40 countries.
John Urbahns, director of community development for Fort Wayne, presented the award at a lunch attended by about 150 business professionals.
For more on this story, see Thursday's editions of The Journal Gazette or visit www.journalgazette.net after 7 a.m. Thursday
