Redex Industries Inc. was named by the U.S. Small Business Administration as Ohio's Small Business Exporter of the Year for 2011.
William Kennedy Jr., president of Redex which manufactures the Udderly Smooth Udder Cream line of skin care products, said the award hits home because it was an SBA loan in 1978 that helped get the company off the ground.
Then-U.S. Congressman Charles Carney helped "when we started with an SBA letter to him." Otherwise, Kennedy said, "We wouldn't be here."
Redex was tipped about to the award at seminar at Youngstown State University last year that included the SBA. Kennedy spoke to them about the exporting award and came away thinking "maybe we should apply for it."
SBA District Director Gilbert Goldberg advised the company it was selected for the award in April.
Goldberg said that beginning with the Eisenhower Administration, a week in May has been designated Small Business Week to honor the "contributions that a champion of entrepreneurs like you have made to our country's economic growth and prosperity," he wrote to Redex founder and CEO, Bill kennedy Sr.
The Udderly Smooth line of skin-care products are exported to customers in 11 countries.
Bill Kennedy Sr., his wife, Marg, and their children founded Redex Industries with a SBA loan to produce veterinarian pharmaceuticals and to meet growing dairy farmer requests to treat chapped and cracked skin on cow udders.
The result: Udderly Smooth Udder Cream was formulated and people quickly learned it was excellent on their own skin, moisturizing dry, chapped and cracked skin.
Word spread and, according to the company history, "City dwellers heard about the barnyard remedy on Oprah and The People's Pharmacy ..."
NBC's Today Show aired a segment on Udder Cream in December of 2007 with the company's famous Udder Cream cow that tours the country and is currently in Bentonville, Ark., Bill Kennedy Jr. said.
The company has fans in the entertainment industry where product placement of Udderly Smooth products has occurred in such television programs as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Bachelorette and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It has also been placed in Hollywood films including Family Stone, Labor Pains and The Longest Yard.
Udderly Smooth Udder Cream remains the flagship product and is sold at mass merchandisers, drug and grocery chains across America. Redex employs 17 people.
Bill Kennedy Sr., in addition to being the company CEO, is a registered pharmacist.
William Kennedy Jr., president of Redex which manufactures the Udderly Smooth Udder Cream line of skin care products, said the award hits home because it was an SBA loan in 1978 that helped get the company off the ground.
Then-U.S. Congressman Charles Carney helped "when we started with an SBA letter to him." Otherwise, Kennedy said, "We wouldn't be here."
Redex was tipped about to the award at seminar at Youngstown State University last year that included the SBA. Kennedy spoke to them about the exporting award and came away thinking "maybe we should apply for it."
SBA District Director Gilbert Goldberg advised the company it was selected for the award in April.
Goldberg said that beginning with the Eisenhower Administration, a week in May has been designated Small Business Week to honor the "contributions that a champion of entrepreneurs like you have made to our country's economic growth and prosperity," he wrote to Redex founder and CEO, Bill kennedy Sr.
The Udderly Smooth line of skin-care products are exported to customers in 11 countries.
Bill Kennedy Sr., his wife, Marg, and their children founded Redex Industries with a SBA loan to produce veterinarian pharmaceuticals and to meet growing dairy farmer requests to treat chapped and cracked skin on cow udders.
The result: Udderly Smooth Udder Cream was formulated and people quickly learned it was excellent on their own skin, moisturizing dry, chapped and cracked skin.
Word spread and, according to the company history, "City dwellers heard about the barnyard remedy on Oprah and The People's Pharmacy ..."
NBC's Today Show aired a segment on Udder Cream in December of 2007 with the company's famous Udder Cream cow that tours the country and is currently in Bentonville, Ark., Bill Kennedy Jr. said.
The company has fans in the entertainment industry where product placement of Udderly Smooth products has occurred in such television programs as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Bachelorette and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It has also been placed in Hollywood films including Family Stone, Labor Pains and The Longest Yard.
Udderly Smooth Udder Cream remains the flagship product and is sold at mass merchandisers, drug and grocery chains across America. Redex employs 17 people.
Bill Kennedy Sr., in addition to being the company CEO, is a registered pharmacist.
