Coastal Training Technologies Receives Commonwealth of Virginia Compass Award for Excellence in International Trade

Virginia Beach, VA, October 29, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Governor Kaine recognized Coastal Training Technologies Corp. with the annual Commonwealth of Virginia Compass Award for Excellence in International Trade. The award was presented during the World Trade Conference held in Norfolk, Va. Coastal Training Technologies is the first Virginia Beach-based company to receive the award, which was established to acknowledge Virginia businesses that have excelled in global trade.

“Coastal has a global workforce and a global customer base so this award is very meaningful to us,” said Michels. “I’m also excited that the state has recognized a company that exports intellectual property, which is often overlooked by trade organizations.”

Coastal Training Technologies Corp. was founded in 1984 by CEO Paul Michels to create business training materials. It has become one of the world’s leading publishers of safety, industrial skills and employee development training programs for healthcare, business, industry, government and education. The company has shared its award-winning products with more than 30 million employees worldwide.

“We are honored to have a company of this caliber in Virginia Beach,” said Warren D. Harris, director of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development. “Paul Michels is a vital member of the Virginia Beach Development Authority, and we have benefited from his business acumen and global connections for many years. This acknowledgement from Governor Kaine is well deserved.”

During the past week, Coastal garnered attention as it became a subsidiary of DuPont in an effort to become the leading provider of training materials for companies, governments and organizations around the world. Michels will continue to oversee the operations of the company and the headquarters will remain in Virginia Beach.

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