What do aerospace, peanut butter and athletic conditioning have in common? In Arizona, they represent companies being honored for exporting success by the Sun Corridor Recognition Program. Within this shortlist of winners, Able Aerospace Services, Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, was named as the Top Scoring Export Business and an exporting “expert” among all companies nominated for the award program.

City of Mesa Mayor John Giles honored Able during a certificate presentation, held at Able’s 200,000-square-foot headquarters at the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona.

“When Able started exporting repaired and overhauled replacement parts for aircraft in 1994, exporting represented only about $100,000 of our revenue. Now, 23 years later, exporting represents almost half of our company’s parts and services activity,” said Able Aerospace Services Inc. CEO Lee Benson. “We are honored by this recognition and very proud that we’ve been able to turn our global export achievements into approximately 500 well-paying local jobs, and a business opportunity for hundreds of vendors – all while serving customers in more than 60 countries.”

The Sun Corridor Export Recognition Program was launched by the Joint Planning Advisory Council (JPAC), led by elected officials and business leaders in the Sun Corridor. City of Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton championed the development of the export recognition program when he became chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council. “We have great products and services to offer the world, and the vast majority of the marketplace is outside of our borders, so we have to think and act in a more concerted way toward exporting,” he said. “The better we do, the better off our economy is going to be.”

Research demonstrates that only one percent of businesses export goods or services. Those that do export are more recession-proof and successful. Mayor Giles notes the impact exporting has on the economy and the region. “This program was launched to recognize businesses that are exporting and to encourage others to do the same, whether they are small or large. Businesses of any size can successfully export,” he said.

All applications from businesses that applied for the program were evaluated by an independent panel of experts and then placed in categories of emerging, proficient or expert. Able was recognized as the top expert exporter for overall achievement.

Based in Mesa, Arizona, Able offers a comprehensive menu of repair, overhaul and parts solutions for more than 1,400 fixed- and rotor-wing customers in 60 countries across the globe. The company completes more than 98 percent of all jobs in-house through a collaborative staff of mechanics, engineers, DER experts and customer service specialists.