President George W. Bush recently appointed James F. Dicke II, chairman and CEO of Crown Equipment Corporation (New Bremen, Ohio), as a private-sector member of his Export Council. The announcement, made by Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, said business leaders like Mr. Dicke are one of the best resources for identifying trade barriers and opportunities for U.S. exports, as well as for helping promote the President’s trade policy.
Formed in the 1970s, the President’s Export Council advises the President through the Secretary of Commerce on export enhancement and works with industry encouraging U.S. companies to increase exports and enter new markets. Crown owns and operates nine manufacturing facilities in four countries, including Australia, Germany, Mexico, the United States and is expanding into China. The company supports its company-owned and independent distributors in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and the Pacific Rim.
The private-sector members of the Council serve at the pleasure of the President with no set term of office. Other companies represented on the Council include Marriott International, The Boeing Company, UPS, Merck & Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil, General Motors Corporation and Cargill, Inc. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House also appoint five United States Senators and five members of the House of Representatives to the Council.
Under Mr. Dicke’s direction, Crown, a privately held company, has grown into one of the largest manufacturers of lift trucks in the world. Founded in 1945 by the Dicke family, Crown today employs more than 7,300 employees with sales in excess of $1.2 billion.
Source: Crown Equipment Corp.
