Foxborough, Mass. – International Forest Products (IFP), a subsidiary of The Kraft Group headquartered in Foxborough, Mass., has once again earned top billing as New England’s top U.S. Exporter and has climbed to 20th on the national rankings among the Top 100 U.S. Exporters in 2012 according to the annual rankings published by The Journal of Commerce. International Forest Products first appeared on the Top 100 list in 1997 and has remained on the list for 16 consecutive years. The Top-20 achievement is IFP’s highest ranking, moving up seven positions since last year and 23 positions in the past four years.
“We are really proud of the global relationships we have developed over the years and owe our success to the continued support of our loyal customers and suppliers,” said Daniel Kraft, President and Chief Executive Officer of International Forest Products. “We are a privately-owned and family-operated company with a tremendous staff that specializes in customizing our services to meet the individual marketplace demands of our many customers.”
IFP, a forest products and commodities trader, earned the 20th ranking by exporting 56,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2012. TEUs are a standard measurement of containerized ocean shipping.
The Journal of Commerce article notes that U.S. exports in 2012 increased 2.6 percent year-over-year, representing a 2.3 percent increase over pre-recession 2008 figures. IFP’s growth significantly outperformed the U.S. average. The 56,000 TEUs exported in 2012 represent a 30 percent increase over IFP’s 2011 exports (43,100 TEUs) and a 99 percent increase since 2008 (28,100 TEUs).
IFP has appeared on the Top 100 U.S. Exporters list every year since 1997 and has ranked in the top 50 each year since 2004. The Top 100 rankings are based on data from PIERS, a Journal of Commerce sister company, and other industry sources.