U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson recently toured the factory floor of Paramount Industrial Cos., located in Norfolk, Va. The visit came a day after President Obama’s State of the Union address, in which the President emphasized the importance of building the U.S. manufacturing base and keeping these jobs stateside.

Paramount Industrial is the first national mattress manufacturer to be Made in USA Certified®. Established during the Great Depression, Paramount Industrial is a third-generation, family-owned business that has been part of the Norfolk community since 1933. The company’s mattress line includes: A.H. Beard, Back Performance, Boutique Hotel, GoodNite Kids, Heavy Duty, Nature’s Spa, Quilt O PEDIC and Sleep for Success.

With mattress sales correlated to the housing market, Paramount Industrial has investigated ways to expand into international markets. Working with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), the company has visited China on multiple occasions to pursue sales opportunities. This past July, Paramount Industrial was accepted into VEDP’s Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program as part of its 20th class. The award-winning VALET program assists established Virginia companies with their global marketing efforts through a two-year business acceleration program. Through marketing trips and introductions to a team of international service providers, companies experience an 88 percent increase in international sales, on average.

To learn more about VEDP’s programs helping Virginia companies to export across the globe click here. Or if you’re an international company interested in locating in Virginia click here.