Pepro LLC (www.peprollc.com), the leading manufacturer of shielded enclosure systems for stationary and mobile applications, recently announced it is participating in Canada First, a trade mission to Toronto and other major Canadian cities organized by the Canadian Trade Office of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representative in Canada.

The program formulated by Pennsylvania’s Center for Trade Development and the Authorized Trade Representative in Canada is made possible by the Small Business Administrations STEP Funding. The program was designed to introduce small and midsized companies in the Great Lakes region to appropriate partners in Canada, as well as ease commerce between the countries. Pepro will meet with resellers, integrators and end users of emergency communications equipment while in Canada.

“The Canadian market for mobile radio sites is very similar to the US, and having the council’s help in identifying opportunities, finding partners, and navigating the legal issues has made Canada a viable market for us much sooner than otherwise possible,” said Kelly Lander, president of Pepro, LLC. “The communications challenges, technology issue and regulations in Canada are so similar to those in the US, we know we can help Canadian companies meet their needs for lightning-proof, shielded tower sites right now. The council is putting us on the right path to meet that opportunity confidently knowing we won’t run into unforeseen regulatory or customs hold ups.”

“Canada continues to be Pennsylvania’s largest export market with $11.4 billion merchandise exports posted in 2012. Canada’s proximity, similar business culture, a technological-advanced and growing wireless network market and a budding defense and security industry, make it a natural market for Pepro,” said Rita Patlan, Senior Market Access Consultant for the Canadian Trade Office of the Council of Great Lakes Governors. “We are pleased that Pepro LLC will take part in the State of Pennsylvania export mission to Canada and look forward to helping them meet with the right partners and realize their export success in this market.”

Pepro has provided shielded enclosures based on its patented Faraday cage technology for more than 20 years without a single loss of protected equipment. Every Pepro shelter meets rigorous standards, sustaining a one million volt, 82,000 amp direct strike with less than ten micro joules entering enclosure.

About the Canada Trade Office

Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representative, The Canadian Trade Office of the Council of Great Lake Governors, located in Toronto, Canada is represented by Grow Trade Consulting Inc.

Staffed by professional trade facilitators, contracts with the Council of Great Lake Governors, based in Chicago, to represent their member states in Canada. They offer business facilitation services to small and medium sized companies in the member states of Pennsylvania, Michigan & Wisconsin and assist them to identify and approach opportunities in Canada. Their services have assisted in facilitating over 30 million dollars in export sales to Canada from Pennsylvania companies in the last fiscal year, 11/12.

The Council of Great Lakes Governors is non-partisan partnership of the Governors of the eight Great Lakes States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The Council facilitates discussion and policy on water and environmental issues between the Governors and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec.

Recognizing the economic strength of the region, the Council launched its unique trade arm in 1990 with the Canadian office as a pilot. The Council has successfully replicated its unique shared office model in five other countries around the world.

About Pepro

Pepro, LLC (www.peprollc.com) is the leading manufacturer of shielded enclosure systems for stationary and mobile applications. The company has provided state-of-the-art deployable radio sites without loss or failure since the company’s founding in 1992, a record of reliability attributable, in part, to a patented Faraday cage system to protect from lightning strikes, electromagnetic pulses (EMP), electromagnetic interferences (EMI), and radio frequency interferences (RFI). Pepro provides services to public utilities & public safety offices, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Homeland Security, states & local governments, Motorola and other organizations requiring a secure enclosure for sensitive electronic, computer, and radio equipment. Pepro, LLC is a veteran-owned, small business located in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Pepro products qualify for 8a, American Indian, and Woman-Owned Small Business contracting through a Master Service Agreement with Northwind Engineering, LLC.