Savannahs Benedetto Guitars Takes Top Honors for Excellence in International Trade

ATLANTA, November 7, 2008 — Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced today that Benedetto Guitars in Savannah has won the second annual Georgia Featured Export Product Award. AIC Wireless, based in Sylvester, is the finalist. 'Supporting the development of international trade is critical to growing jobs and investment in Georgia,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 'I am proud that our business assets in Georgia have helped contribute to Benedetto Guitars' outstanding products and vision for continued growth via international trade.' The Georgia Featured Export Product Award rewards small and medium-sized Georgia businesses for their efforts to develop innovative products that will find success in export markets around the world. Companies with 150 or fewer employees or those with annual sales of $150 million or less are qualified for competition. Entries are judged based on product innovation, market potential and international export efforts. 2008 winner Benedetto Guitars produces hand-crafted jazz guitars that are prized by musicians and collectors alike. The company has distributors in nine countries and continually seeks innovative ways to market its products. Recently a Benedetto guitar was featured in a Japanese reality show, which helped the company obtain a key distribution contract. In 2009 Benedetto representatives will exhibit at Musikmesse, a German trade show for the musical instrument industry, to explore other international marketing opportunities. This year's finalist is Sylvester, Ga.-based AIC Wireless, which produces a wireless control system that is used in building automation, control and monitoring applications. The company's use of strong distributors, a comprehensive website and industry trade shows has played a powerful role in identifying new AIC customers worldwide. AIC has a network of 30 distributors in the U.S. and Canada and plans to expand its reach to China, Europe, South America and the Middle East. 'We are proud to recognize companies with great potential to export their products abroad,' said William Fickling III, chairman of the Annual Georgia European Union Summit, which hosted the award ceremony in Macon. 'I can think of no better time to highlight outstanding Georgia companies than before an international, business-savvy audience.' Established in 2001, the Annual Georgia European Union Summit regularly attracts more than 200 business leaders, consular and trade dignitaries. The event honors the finalists for the annual Georgia Featured Export Product Award and celebrates the growing business and commercial relationships between Georgia, the European Union and other nations represented in Georgia by the consular and trade offices. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.