Automation Alley, Michigan’s largest technology business association, announced today that export sales by local companies as a result of participation in Automation Alley trade missions total more than $507 million.

The $507 million in export sales by local businesses have supported or created 2,817 American jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2014, every $1 billion of U.S. exports supported nearly 5,800 jobs.

“This figure represents the hard work of our team and our past trade mission participants,” said Noel Nevshehir, Automation Alley’s director of international business services. “Our goal is to demystify the exporting process for small and medium-sized companies.”

“We’ve experienced great success in that area to date,” Nevshehir added, “and we expect similar success in the years to come. With less than one percent of our nation’s 30 million businesses exporting, there is an enormous opportunity for local companies to grow by expanding their business abroad.”

Since its first trade mission in 2001, Automation Alley has led a total of 24 trade missions to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.  Representatives from 170 local companies have participated in the missions.

Upcoming trade mission destinations include Mexico, Dubai, Germany, and Cuba.

Automation Alley works with the U.S. Commercial Service and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to arrange in-country matchmaking meetings with potential business partners, buyers, and end users of the participating companies’ products, services and technologies.

Prior to each mission, Automation Alley holds country-specific workshops to inform interested companies about the challenges and opportunities of doing business abroad.

Automation Alley has twice been honored by the White House for its significant contribution to increasing American exports, first in 2008 with the “E” Award for Export Service and again in 2013 with the “E Star” Award for Export Service.