SASCO Chemical Group is a recipient of a $5,000 grant and a semi-finalist in the inaugural Atlanta Metro Export Challenge, a grant competition powered by Chase which boosts support for small and medium-sized businesses looking to begin exporting or to increase their export programs.

Thirty-five companies from metro Atlanta were selected as semi-finalists and will each receive a reimbursement grant of up to $5,000 to apply toward expenses related to building export capacity and activities.

“Exporting continues to be the foundation of our sales growth, and we are honoured to receive the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge Grant,” said Marc Skalla, President, “As we approach each new export market, we are reminded that the United States continues to have an advantage with highly technical and highly engineered standard-setting products.  This innovation gap enables us to sustain jobs and even expand our work force”.

Nearly 70 companies, ranging in size from pre-revenue startups to small and established medium-sized businesses, applied for the 35 available grants. The semi-finalists represent a wide array of industries, including traditional and advanced manufacturing, professional services, food and beverage, apparel and technology companies. Women-owned and minority-owned businesses are among the semi-finalists. Also, grant awardees represent 12 different counties, eight of which are within the metro Atlanta 29-county region.

SASCO Chemical Group will have a chance to win additional prize money later this summer. Each of the 35 semi-finalists must utilize the grant funds during the first half of 2016 and show export success to be invited back for the second round of competition this summer at Pitch Day – a Shark Tank-style pitch session before a panel of judges. The semi-finalists must share their export success and future plans for export development for a chance to win additional prize money. At Pitch Day, companies will present their exportable product or service, their export success with the initial grant, and a business plan detailing how they will use additional grant funds to increase exports. The top three companies will receive $20,000 (1st Place), $10,000 (2nd Place), and $5,000 (3rd Place).

The Atlanta Metro Export Challenge will distribute a total of $210,000 over the course of the competition. This competition is one of the key components of the Atlanta Metro Export Plan, an initiative launched in June 2015 to stimulate economic growth in the region and create quality jobs through exports. The grants competition aims to encourage area companies to export and drive business growth by increasing international sales of local products and services.

The program was created through a grant from JPMorgan Chase as part of the firm’s ongoing work to promote global competitiveness in metros around the country.

”The more we support small businesses efforts to broaden their opportunity, the stronger our economy becomes, and exports are key to meaningful, sustainable growth,” said David Balos, market leader for JPMorgan Chase in Georgia.

Promoting participation from small businesses will help boost Metro Atlanta’s exports—right now, the region ranks 64^th among the nation’s largest metros in export intensity, despite being the 14^th largest exporter in the U.S. Exports are shown to add jobs to regional economies. The International Trade Administration reports that for every $1 billion generated in exports, an additional 5,800 new jobs are created.

Exports are shown to add jobs to regional economies. The International Trade Administration reports that for every $1 billion generated in exports, an additional 5,800 new jobs are created. With 95 percent of the world’s consumers located outside the U.S., the potential for growing exports is tremendous.