The federal government provides a financial tool to help businesses compete on the foreign stage. That tool is EXIM, the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The chairman of EXIM, John Jovanovic visited several sites in Washington and Greene Counties. One of those sites was Aquatech in Canonsburg. He said the bank tries to help the small companies grow and Aquatech is a perfect example of a small company competing all over the world with EXIM’s help. Aquatech provides water process technology facilities, products and services worldwide. Those pure water services may be found in semi conductor facilities, energy facilities and power plants. According to Venkee Sharma, Executive Chairman of Aquatech, they are expanding their services to provide purification services for mineral extraction and processing. He said EXIM is key to that expansion. Sharma said that EXIM is key for Aquatech as they provide financial assistance for exporting where a regular bank would not recognize a foreign contract. In EXIM’s mission to help all kind of businesses, aside from Aquatech, Jovanovic toured an EQT facility in Greene County and the 6K Additive facility in Burgettstown. (Photo: Elizabeth Robbins)