On March 20, 2024, the U.S. Small Business Administration named Spectrum International LLC of Georgia its 2024 Small Business Exporter of the Year. The agency said the company designs and manufactures specialty contact lenses, employs 28 people and sells to more than 65 countries. The announcement was issued ahead of National Small Business Week, where Spectrum and other award recipients were scheduled to be honored in Washington on April 28–29. [story-s1]
The release traced the company’s export push to an SBA State Trade Expansion Program grant earned in 2022 through the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The grant helped offset the cost of attending the Arab Health Trade Show. SBA also described Spectrum’s products as U.S.-made and sold almost exclusively abroad, and said founder Felipe Arroyave serves on the Georgia District Export Council, where he helps other firms explore international markets. [story-s1]
The example highlights a practical export-support model: a state-administered grant helped a small manufacturer cover a trade-show expense, while the founder’s council role connected his experience to other exporters. The release does not quantify the grant or attribute the company’s sales growth solely to the program; it presents Spectrum as one award-winning case, not a measure of STEP’s overall results. [story-s1]
Source documents
- U.S. Small Business Administration Congratulates 2024 Exporter of the Yearhttps://www.sba.gov/article/2024/03/20/us-small-business-administration-congratulates-2024-exporter-year