Pritchard Amps commended

Pritchard Amps of Berkeley Springs is one of 36 West Virginia businesses commended by Governor Joe Manchin for exporting their products to new countries in the past year.

Pritchard Amps, owned by Eric Pritchard, has begun selling amps to Australia and France.

“International trade and investment help to create and retain jobs in West Virginia,” said Manchin.

The exporting companies show that “West Virginia has the quality of goods, services and workers to compete successfully in the global market,” the governor said.

In 2009, West Virginia exports amounted to $4.8

billion. The top export pro-duct sectors included coal, plastics, machinery and chemicals.

Other tri-county companies that received Governor’s Commendations for International Market Entry were:

—DSI Underground Systems, Inc. of Martinsburg, which now exports to Austria and Russia.

—Power-Sonix, Inc. of Martinsburg, which began exporting to Brazil and Jordan.

—Schonstedt Instrument Company, Inc. of Kearneysville, which now exports to Brazil, Portugal and Turkmenistan.