On May 14, two ReMA member companies received the President’s “E” Awards for excellency in exports, which is the highest honor bestowed upon U.S. exporters by the U.S. government. Executives from both companies, Sigma Recycling and Pan American Zinc, were in Washington, D.C. to receive the award at the ceremony at the Commerce Department’s Herbert Hoover Building. This award, created by Executive Order by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, recognizes demonstrated export growth for the most recent four years and is administered by the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Pan American Zinc received its first “E” Award for Exports, with CEO Dan Marjenberg and Vice President of Sales Josephita Harry accepting the award for the Miami-based company. Josephita now serves as the Chair of the ReMA Trade Committee, having previously served as Vice Chair of the ISRI Trade Committee from 2022-24, and was also recently appointed as the chairwoman of the recently-renamed Electrics, Electronics and EV Batteries Committee at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).
Sigma Recycling received its second honor, which is titled the “E-Star” Award for Exporting, after receiving its first “E” Award in 2019 for demonstrated excellence in exporting. Kanika Patawari and Kuldeep Lunia accepted the award for the company, as Surendra Patawari was unable to join the ceremony in-person.
At the ceremony, award recipients, their families and colleagues heard speeches from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, and private sector representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, among others.