Hinesburg, VT - NRG Systems, Inc., a Vermont-based manufacturer of wind measurement systems, has won the 2003 Small Business Administration's Exporter of the Year Award for Vermont and the New England region. Governor Jim Douglas is expected to present the Hinesburg company with the award at a June 4 ceremony at Waterfront Park in Burlington. NRG Systems will also be featured in the June issue of Vermont Business Magazine.

"We are honored to be chosen for this award," says David Blittersdorf, founder and CEO of NRG Systems, Inc. "It's a testament to our growing industry and wind energy's stature as a serious, mainstream energy source."

"Exporting our products to markets around the world is the cornerstone of our business," says Jan Blittersdorf, CFO and vice president of NRG Systems. "We could not have achieved this without the dedication of our employees to learn and grow our expertise in exporting our products."

The Exporter of the Year award is presented to small businesses engaged in exporting that has experienced increased sales, uses creative marketing and has encouraged and helped other small businesses enter the export market. NRG has grown on average more than 30% every year since its formation in 1982. Overseas exports account for more than half of its sales, which totaled $11.4 million last year. With revenue growth of 1,166% since 1992, NRG was named the second fastest growing company in Vermont over the last ten years by Vermont Business Magazine in its January 2003 issue.

Looking toward the future, NRG Systems expects its sales to reach $40 to $50 million over the next ten years as its workforce grows by 100% to about 90 employees. To accommodate this growth, NRG is building a new 46,000 square foot facility in Hinesburg, featuring the latest in green building design techniques and being powered by renewable energy. The company expects to break ground in June and the building should be ready for occupancy by February 2004.

By winning the regional award, NRG Systems will be in the running for the SBA's National Exporter of the Year Award. That announcement is expected later this year.

David Blittersdorf is past president of the American Wind Energy Association, the wind industry's national trade organization, and a founding member and past chair of the non-profit association Renewable Energy Vermont (REV).

NRG wind energy assessment systems can be found in more than 90 countries, serving electric utilities, wind farm developers, research institutes, government agencies, universities, homeowners and businesses. Wind energy, a source of clean and renewable power, is the world's fastest growing energy source, expanding at a rate of 30% every year. With more than 31,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity installed worldwide, wind energy provides enough electricity to power 14 million households. For more information on NRG Systems, visit www.nrgsystems.com or call (802) 864-6710.