Ark Therapeutic Services, Inc. Honored for Export Achievement

Accepting the Award: Debbie Lowsky, President

ARK Therapeutic, located in Lugoff, SC, is a designer and manufacturer of speech therapy products, occupational, adult care, eye care, and respiratory products and early childhood developmental toys and tools. Although a third party sold its products internationally for several years under an informal arrangement, ARK began exporting directly in 2006. Members of the S.C. International Trade Coalition including the U.S. Commercial Service, S.C. Department of Commerce, and The Export Consortium have been working with the company since October 2005, and have provided counseling on the export process, potential markets, export financing, and representation in overseas markets.

The owners of Ark Therapeutic, John and Debbie Lowsky, have participated in several training programs organized by Coalition members and in June 2006 participated in the SC Trade Mission to Canada jointly sponsored by the U.S. Commercial Service, Midlands International Trade Association, the SC Dept. of Commerce and The Export Consortium. The U.S. Commercial Service posts in Toronto and Montreal worked with Ark on the sector and prior-representation issues and made appointments for them in both locations. As a result of contacts made on the Canada Trade Mission, ARK signed a distributor agreement in Montreal and has begun shipping to that market.

With its network of offices across the United States and in more than 80 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. For more information, visit www.export.gov or contact the Columbia, SC U.S. Export Assistance Center at (803) 732-5211