Not many people think of oil and gas equipment exports as a home business. But when Jamal Qureshi started JQ American Corp. in 1998, he and his wife, Akila, ran the export business from their house.Read More...
JQ American Corp. Recognized as a Finalist in the National District Export
200,000 and Counting – Distributor’s Product Line Means More Exports
Hayward, CA – Oct 27, 2004 (PRN): It may not be the familiar “shop till you drop,” but for JQ American Corporation’s worldwide customers, the firm’s web-based “shopping mall” of 200,000 products featuring industrial, scientific, and medical equipment comes close. In recognition of the firm’s export efforts, the Hayward, CA-based firm today was presented with a finalist award in the competition for the inaugural National District Export Council’s “Small Business Exporter of the Year.”
“The JQ American Corporation is an outstanding example of what a small business can achieve in the export marketplace,”said Don Gallion, Chairman of the National District Export Council Steering Committee. “Companies such a JQ American comprise more than 97 percent of U.S. exporters, and represent some of the best in entrepreneurial ingenuity and innovation.”
JQ American, a minority-owned firm, specializes in the supply and distribution of products and services to industrial and oil, , medical, pharmaceutical and chemical institutions. The company has utilized the Commercial Service’s Oakland U.S. Export Assistance Center and overseas posts for export counseling, market research, and pre-arranged business appointments abroad—and together with the collaboration of financing agencies such as Eximbank—JQ American was able to make new-to-market sales to North Africa, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt. With USG assistance, the firm also landed a contract with the United Nations in Kosovo to outfit a hospital with medical supplies last year, and the company reports it will soon be making a sale of medical equipment to Iraq. See http://www.jqamerican.com.
According to the Commercial Service, 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the United States, and exporting helps businesses diversify their portfolios and weather changes in the domestic economy. Jim Frierson, Vice-Chair of the Tennessee Export Council, said this year’s judges were struck by the breadth of product sectors served by JQ American. Founded in 1998 by Mr. Jamal Qureshi, the company reports that exports account for nearly 90 percent of its total sales, and it currently markets to 15 countries.
District Export Councils (DECs) are organizations of leaders from the local business communities across the United States, and are appointed by successive Secretaries of Commerce. With their expert knowledge of international business, DEC members are a key source of professional advice for local firms. For more than 25 years, DECs have served the United States by assisting companies in their local communities export, thus promoting our country’s economic growth and creating new and higher-paying jobs for their communities.
Companies competing for the award were nominated by private sector DEC members and U.S. Commercial Service offices. The DEC judging panel looked at criteria such as domestic product content, growth in the number of export markets; increased employment in the U.S., and share of exports contributing to company sales.
The U.S. Commercial Service is a U.S. Commerce Department agency that helps small and midsize U.S. businesses sell their products and services globally. The Commercial Service’s worldwide network includes 108 U.S. Export Assistance Centers and nearly 150 international posts. For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service, please call 206-553-5615 or visit http://www.export.gov.