Mountain Area Workforce Development Board Recognizes Madison County based Advanced Superabrasives

Feb. 17, 2020

Advanced Superabrasives Inc. (ASI), located in Mars Hill, was awarded the 2019 Small Business Exporter of the Year for the State of North Carolina in May. ASI is a manufacturer of premium high performance Diamond and CBN grinding wheels and related equipment. The award is one of several award categories that the Small Business Administration (SBA) recognizes each year during National Small Business Week. Advanced Superabrasives Inc. was nominated by the Small Business and Technology Development Center, which is a resource partner of the SBA. 
In evaluating the nomination packages for the Exporter of the Year award, the judges used the following criteria:

Increased sales, profits and/or growth of employment because of exporting. Creative overseas marketing strategies, exporting history, and current export markets; Effective solutions to export-related problems, including trade financing, payment, and currency issues; market-entry and logistical challenges; cultural differences, etc.; Demonstrated encouragement of other small businesses to export and/or volunteer assistance to other small businesses entering the export market; and Effective use of Federal and/or State government trade promotion or financing programs.

When asked where their exports go, Jonathan Szucs, President of ASI, said “we export to over 27 countries around the world with Canada being the largest export market. We export to China, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, England, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Hong Kong, and many others. We export to Europe from England all the way to Poland. We export all over southeast Asia including China. We export all over the America’s from Canada in the north to Brazil in the south. And then we have our intergalactic exports which NASA took the first wheel but we are working on others with other agencies. One of our customers is Space X and while I can’t disclose the details, their export will be farther than Mars.” (One interesting fact about ASI is that they hold the distance record for any export from a NC company – Mars Hill to the planet Mars.) With 25% of ASI sales coming from exports, Szucs says there is huge potential for growth in this area.

ASI consistently participates in local, regional and statewide workforce initiatives such as: internships, apprenticeships, manufacturing week activities and hosts facility tours for students and educators. ASI actively promotes Advanced Manufacturing in our region and supports outreach efforts to increase career awareness in the field. They have effectively implemented a youth apprenticeship program with Madison High School which creates a pathway to fulltime employment for student interns after graduation.