[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 83 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COMMENDING ELMET TECHNOLOGIES

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, as we are all aware, the lengthy 
process of globalization has made it necessary for many American 
businesses to promote their goods in international markets. And despite 
the present economic recession, Maine businesses exported a record $3 
billion in goods last year. I wish to highlight Elmet Technologies, a 
shining company that has been a part of that historic figure and has 
excelled in growing its customer base by marketing to overseas firms.
  Elmet Technologies was founded in Lewiston in 1929, at the beginning 
of the Great Depression. At that time, the company had 50 employees and 
13,400 square feet of manufacturing space. The firm now employs over 
230 people and occupies a 220,000-square-foot facility. Elmet makes 
top-quality, high-performance advanced materials and specialized 
refractory metal products, such as wire, filaments, and rods. Its 
products have numerous applications for a variety of industries. For 
instance, the company's components and materials are used in electronic 
devices such as GPS units and digital music players and medical 
equipment like x-ray tubes.
  Elmet supplies a wide range of customers, from IBM and Philips 
Lighting, to Veeco, which produces process equipment and metrology 
tools, and Varian, producers of medical equipment. These firms have 
turned to Elmet because of its high-quality products, attention to 
customer detail and specification, and its employees' stellar Maine 
work ethic. Additionally, what makes Elmet's production method so 
effective is that the company uses raw materials instead of base 
materials, allowing employees to easily customize products based on 
consumer specifications. The company has also earned two critical 
certifications for quality and environmental standards from the 
International Organization for Standardization, ISO.
  Though an 80-year-old company, Elmet Technologies is relatively new 
to global trade. It began only recently promoting its products abroad 
and now has clients in places as far away as Europe, Israel, and China. 
Elmet's strategy is paying off and earning the company much-deserved 
recognition. Last Thursday, the Maine International Trade Center 
presented Elmet Technologies with its 2009 Exporter of the Year Award. 
The award demonstrates the determination and commitment of Elmet's 
leaders in forging new international marketplaces for its extensive 
variety of products that serve a wide range of high-tech and emerging 
industries--from electronics and lighting, to aircraft and automotive.
  The Maine International Trade Center is Maine's small business link 
to the rest of the world. It is a public-private partnership between 
the State of Maine and its businesses. The center's goal is to increase 
international trade in Maine and in particular to assist Maine's 
businesses in exporting goods and services. Clearly it sees in Elmet 
Technologies the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that make 
Maine's small businesses so unique and successful.
  Elmet Technologies' president and CEO, Jack Jensen, has summed up his 
company's philosophy quite simply: ``Listen. Create. Delight.'' Based 
on the company's record of success and customer satisfaction, this 
motto has served the company well in any language. I congratulate 
everyone at Elmet Technologies on their recent recognition and wish 
them new and exciting export opportunities in the years to 
come. 

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