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Manufacturers: Go Global with the U.S. Commercial Service

Graphic featuring an image of a steel clamp and the text - #Blog - Manufacturers: Go Global with the U.S. Commercial Service

December 1, 2025

Molly Hope is the Global Advanced Manufacturing Team Leader and Todd Hiser is the Director of the U.S. Commercial Service Northern Ohio

Manufacturing has a crucial role in the U.S. economy. Last year, U.S. manufacturing contributed $2.9 trillion to the economy, supporting millions of jobs. And with 80 percent of U.S. merchandise exports coming from manufactured goods, small- and medium-sized businesses are key players in export opportunities, accounting for about 96 percent of all manufacturers that export. Read on to learn more about an Ohio exporter’s success story.

Growing up, James Venner always had a knack for mechanics with a good sense of business savvy – a business acumen later shared by his wife, Linda. So, years ago, renting a small garage, they teamed to start their own company, Clampco Products, a Wadsworth, Ohio, manufacturer of high-quality, stainless-steel clamps, which are used to secure connections in a variety of industrial processes. Their small family-owned business has now grown into an employee-owned company of 275 staff. The business reports robust domestic sales and growing exports, with James and Linda’s son, Jason, serving as executive vice president.

It was early 2022 when Clampco’s leadership team, including National Sales and Marketing Manager Derek Sandborn, came together to strategize further on how to grow their company’s international sales. The challenge: How best to leverage international trade show opportunities. One of his first stops was the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) in Northern Ohio. After some initial export counseling, the business was introduced to and has since utilized pre-and on-site CS business counseling and business matchmaking support at the USA Partnership Pavilion at the Paris and Farnborough Air Shows to identify and connect with foreign partners and make major export sales.

In addition, Clampco leveraged extensive U.S. Commercial Service partnerships from state, private sector, and academia resources, including a financing grant, to enable its participation in trade missions.

“The expert support and guidance offered by the teams at the U.S. Commercial Service and its partners gave us the necessary strategies, tools, and resources to significantly expand our sales to targeted global markets,” Mr. Sandborn said. “As a result, to date, we’ve completed more than $450,000 in total sales to markets in Canada, Europe, and Asia, with more sales on the horizon.”

Is it time to grow your export sales? Consider the advantages of exporting and partnering with the U.S. Commercial Service:

• Broadening the customer base: More than 95 percent of potential consumers are outside of the United States.

• Exporting can help boost the bottom line, diversify potential risk, and increase competitiveness.

• Made-in-USA Products and services are in demand and have a worldwide reputation for innovation, quality, and after-sales service.

• Through eCommerce, businesses can find a robust channel for expanding international sales through digital strategies and a globalized web presence.

U.S. Commercial Service

As part of the U.S. Commercial Service with offices across the United States and in 80 markets, the Global Advanced Manufacturing Team offers a full range of in-person and virtual export resources available to help U.S. companies compete globally. These resources include export counseling, market intelligence, business matchmaking, trade missions, advocacy, trade events, and more – with the potential of cutting an exporter’s time to market. Want to learn more about the robust Southeast Asian market demand for U.S. automation technology? The latest on shipping, and customs documentation in the European Union? Or finding the most suitable partner in Canada or Mexico? Our experts can help.

Ready to get started? Reach out to your nearest CS Office today or visit our trade.gov website for more information on how we can assist your company.

As for Mr. Sandborn, he expressed Clampco’s gratitude for the time and resources saved through assistance from the U.S. Commercial Service and its Ohio partners that helped deliver results:

“The expert support and guidance offered by the teams at U.S. Commercial Service, Ohio Aerospace Institute, and public-private GlobalTarget partnership, together with an Ohio Department of Development IMAGE Grant, prepared Clampco Products with the necessary strategies, tools, and resources to significantly expand our sales to targeted global markets. A special thank you goes out to the U.S. Commercial Service in Cleveland and their Northern Ohio team for their personalized service in helping to open doors to foreign markets and customers.”