Jun 6, 2014 2 min read

This trip to the White House went through 94 foreign countries.

Representatives of Wheeling Truck Center were in Washington, D.C., recently to receive the President’s E Award from Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a company, organization or an individual for contributions to the expansion of U.S. export trade.

The Wheeling, W.Va., company is a full-service Volvo truck dealer that sells new and used vehicles and parts, and provides service. It is owned and operated by Ronald Remp and Chad Remp, grandson and great-gransdon of C.H. Remp, who founded the company in 1933.

“By selling Made-in-America goods and services internationally, U.S. business can grow faster, hire more employees, pay higher wages, and help spread American ideas, innovation and values,” Pritzker said during the ceremony. “Congratulations to Wheeling Truck Center for its export achievement, which helps the local community, Wheeling Truck Center and the nation remain competitive in the global marketplace.”

Lyn Doverspike, director of the Pittsburgh office of the U.S. Commercial Service, also acknowledged the firm Wednesday at the Made in Rural America Regional Forum at Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe.

She said the center in 2010 received a national inquiry on its website, wheelingtruck.com, to sell products abroad.

“Wheeling Truck Center did its due diligence,” Doverspike said, “and the results” since then are that the company went from zero export market to 94 nations, and to $2 million in exports, and that it was able to add three full-time employees.

Operations manager Chad Remp said of the center: “Exporting continues to be the foundation of our sales growth, and we are honored to receive the E Award.”

The award was established in December 1961 during the John F. Kennedy administration.