Maine companies with global reach honored by MITC

Photo / Courtesy of MITC Tempshield, a Trenton-based maker of cryogenic gloves and other protective gear, was named Exporter of the Year by the Maine International Trade Center.

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By Renee Cordes

Tempshield, a Trenton-based maker of cryogenic gloves and other personal protective equipment used by scientists and astronauts, has been named Exporter of the Year by the Maine International Trade Center.

The Downeast manufacturer is among winners of MITC’s 2024 International Trade and Investment Awards, which recognize Maine companies with a global reach.

Tempshield, whose gloves can withstand temperatures down to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, has been selling overseas for decades, with international sales making up half of its business.

“The making of Cryo-Gloves is an art," said Paul Larochelle, Tempshield's chief operating officer. "Products we make here go to customers in nearly every country around the globe, and we are proud to be named MITC’s Exporter of the Year.”

All winners will be feted next month in Bangor, during MITC’s Trade Day 2024. (Scroll down for details.) The theme for this year’s event is “Evolution: The Future of Maine’s Heritage Industries.”

“This year’s diverse cohort of award winners from the blue bioeconomy, education, life sciences, legal and logistics sectors represent Maine well on the world stage,” said Wade Merritt, MITC’s president and Maine’s state director of international trade.

“From new product lines to growing international markets and developing partnerships, we’re excited to share and celebrate their successes during the awards ceremony at Trade Day 2024,” he added.

In 2023 alone, more than 2,000 Maine companies exported more than $3.3 billion in goods and services to 187 markets, according to the organization.

Other honorees

Innovator of the Year: Gulf of Maine Inc., a Pembroke-based marinescience company which MITC says is innovating by identifying new direct, year-round export markets that will allow Maine harvesters to fetch higher catch prices, diversify their incomes and boost the economies of rural coastal Maine.

Service Provider of the Year: Bangor International Airport, which MITC lauded for actively seeking out new customers, including with a presence at the Dubai Air Show.

Foreign Direct Investor of the Year: Medixa Biochemica, a Westbrook-based developer of antibodies for infectious diseases.

Individual awards

Two individual awards are also being presented by MITC this year.

Sal Savatteri, a Portland-based immigration lawyer, will receive the 2024 President’s Award. And former MITC intern Sophia Di Risi will receive the 2024 Future Global Leader Award.

She graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2023 and now works as a recruitment and engagement manager at Northeastern University's Roux Institute in Portland.