Master Electronics/BusinessWire

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (from left), Master Electronics President Riad Nizam, Master Electronics Business Development VP Chuck Martin, and Gilbert Bruce Kaplan, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade on May 23, 2019.

Master Electronics is one of 26 companies to receive the 2019 President’s “E” Award for Exports. The recognition is reserved for companies that demonstrate a sustained increase in export sales over a four-year period.

At a ceremony last week in Washington, D.C., U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross presented the award. In a statement, Ross noted Master Electronics' presence in 135 markets and said its “innovative approach to eliminate the impact of increased foreign tariffs on its customers was also particularly notable”.

In a prepared statement, Riad Nizam, president of Master Electronics, said, “Solving customer’s problems is always top of mind, especially when it comes to commerce, a vital branch of our distribution.”

The family-owned company is a global distributor of electronic components. In 1961, the President’s “E” Award was created by Executive Order and, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, is the highest recognition a U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.

The Arizona Commerce Authority was among 13 companies and organizations recognized for assisting and facilitating export activities. The U.S. Commerce Department says in 2018, the U.S. exported $2.5 trillion worth of goods and services—the highest on record.