International Code Council Honored With 2024 President’s “E” Award

On May 14, 2024, the International Code Council was honored with the 2024 President’s “E” Award in Washington D.C. This award is the highest recognition afforded to persons, firms or organizations for their significant contributions to increasing U.S. exports.

Code Council CEO, Dominic Sims, and President of the Code Council Board of Directors, Stuart Tom, accepted the award on behalf of the Code Council.

“We are immensely honored by this award,” said Tom. “It represents the culmination of our efforts to explore new markets for all of the building safety solutions that the Code Council offers and forge meaningful connections worldwide. We will continue to drive building safety on a global scale.”

“The Code Council works tirelessly to expand its global outreach,” said Sims. “We recognize that jurisdictions around the world, operating within different building safety regulatory systems, all seek different and custom solutions. We approach our global outreach with this in mind and continue to evolve innovative and creative ways to advance our global building safety mission.”

The President’s E Award

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued an Executive Order establishing the “E” award, drawing on the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and acknowledge American exporters. The President’s “E” Award, the most prestigious recognition for contributions to U.S. exports, marks its 63rd anniversary this year, with 64 U.S. entities from 32 states receiving awards.

Nominations for these awards are facilitated by the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service office network, operating under the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The primary criteria for the President’s “E” Award for Exports is four years of successive export growth, usually accompanied by a rising percentage of export sales within total sales.

“Trade impacts the lives of every American worker, business and community,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “I am proud to recognize this year’s President’s “E” and “E Star” award recipients for their efforts and contributions to increase economic prosperity across our country and further position the U.S. private sector as the partner of choice in markets around the globe.”

Expanding Global Outreach and Impact

The Code Council has been honored with the President’s “E” award for demonstrating a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee recognized the Code Council family of solutions’ export of services to 128 countries.  

The Code Council was also lauded for its critical work to promote international building standards that will support additional export opportunities for other U.S. companies. While Code Council solutions have been used globally for decades, the impact of the organization’s global activities was not being actively tracked until the implementation of a comprehensive global strategy in 2018.  This strategy, which led to the establishment of the Code Council’s first overseas office in Dubai in 2019 and its second in Australia in 2023, also demonstrated the definitive contribution to U.S. national export expansion efforts that support the domestic economy and create American jobs.  

Similarly, the Code Council has increased its engagement with the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration through its participation in export expansion programs, service on the District Export Council and Industry Trade Advisory Committee, and its Market Development Cooperator Program award.  

Taken together, the implementation of this global strategy, led by the Code Council’s Global Solutions group, has resulted in substantial growth for the Code Council and widespread understanding and recognition of the Code Council family of solutions by governments, professionals and organizations around the world. 

The “E” Award is a recognition of the success of the multifaceted approach that the Code Council has taken, encompassing market research, strategic partnerships and the tailoring of building safety solutions to local needs, through which the Code Council has not only amplified its global footprint but has also helped propel the organization’s overarching expansion and successes.

To read more about the award, click here. To learn more about the Code Council’s global services, click here.