CONRAD — Ritchie Industries in Conrad has been honored by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) for exports. On Tuesday, the business was given two awards – the 2023 SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year for the State of Iowa, and for Region VII.

“What we’re recognizing here is the international trade component of their work,” said Gabriel Esparza, associate administrator of the SBA Office of International Trade. “They’re doing a great job of exporting around the world.”

Esparza said the awards mean Ritchie is the national exporter of the year in Iowa, as well as the regional exporter of the year for Region VII, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

“Let me say 99 percent of all businesses in the United States are small businesses,” Esparza said. “There are 33 million American small businesses, 50 percent of the nation’s employment and 40 percent of the GDP in the country. When we think about trade, how big is that market? The United States does $3 trillion in exports every year, and that is growing, and that is up from pre-pandemic levels. This award is a testament to all of you [Ritchie employees].”

Ritchie President and CEO Robert Admundson thanked everyone for the award.

“I tell everybody who asks how we did that, we just do this every day,” he said. “This is what we do. We’re glad to do it and continue to grow that process.”

In total, exporting constitutes 22 percent of Ritchie’s sales, with products shipped to Canada, Europe, Japan and the Middle East. Amundson said they intend to begin exporting to South America and Australia soon.

Jayne Armstrong, district director for SBA in Iowa, told the crowd who gathered for the awards that Ritchie had grown and overcome some challenges the last few years.

“We want to congratulate you on your resiliency for making it through the pandemic, which was tough for a lot of small businesses and manufacturers,” she told Admundson. “Also, the years you have been here, and the impact you are having on the farming community.”

During a tour of the 140,000-square-foot facility, Amundson gave the small crowd an education on the process Ritchie products go through. As much as possible, Ritchie utilizes local and Iowa-based companies to help build their products, such as Ryerson in Marshalltown.

The Conrad business produces insulated, heated and free-flowing livestock watering tanks. The tanks can be used for cattle, horses, hogs, goats and more, and are built to withstand extreme weather.

The sizes of the tanks also have a wide range — from a single stall to fountains accommodating 500 head of cattle. Some products can be attached to a stall or fence line, while others are free-standing.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.