First American Bank, with an office at 2295 Galiano St. in Coral Gables, was honored in May at a ceremony in Washington, DC, by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross as one of only 43 U.S. companies to receive the prestigious 2018 President’s “E” award for export service.
This is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
“First American Bank has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to First American Bank announcing its selection as an award recipient. “The “E” Award Committee was very impressed with First American Bank’s work of broad impact to educate exporters and other lenders about export finance options, including programs from the United States government. First American Bank’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.”
First American Bank’s Trade Finance Division offers a suite of loan, foreign exchange and documentary services to their customers throughout the Midwest and Florida. The bank has been a longtime user of both the Small Business Administration and Export-Import Bank’s working capital loan programs and is focused on expanding the availability of Trade Finance loans to small and mid-sized organizations.
“Exporting is crucial to the success of the businesses we work with,” said Thomas E. Wells, First American Bank chair and CEO. “Every day we see the growth of our clients’ businesses, due in large part to exporting. This growth has enabled our clients to add jobs and support their local communities as they expand their bottom line.”
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America’s exporters. Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth and case studies which demonstrate valuable support to exporters resulting in increased exports for the company’s clients.
For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.
