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ACE Award trophies on a table

25 Years of the ACE Awards

ACE Logo Small
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo poses with winners of the 2019 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence

Since 1999, U.S. Secretaries of State have recognized the positive impact of American companies abroad through the Award for Corporate Excellence program.  Winners run the gamut from the smallest, community-based businesses with single-digit numbers of employees to multinational corporations whose good stewardship has global reach.

One characteristic unites them:  Their commitment to embodying the values of rule of law, sustainability, inclusivity, ethical standards, and the benefits of hard work and entrepreneurship.  The same virtues that built the United States into the greatest economy in the world are in practice on the ground in places like Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, Slovakia, Nicaragua, and more.

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli presents the Secretary of State’s 2014 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) to Executive Vice President and President of Coca-Cola International Ahmet C. Bozer, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on December 9, 2014.
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stands with winners of the 2012 ACE Awards.

Below is an interactive list of all 78 Award for Corporate Excellence winners of past and present and the year they won.  Be sure to join us 11 am Oct. 22 on the Department of State’s Youtube channel or 2021-2025.state.gov to see this year’s ceremony.

YearCompanyPostAward for:
2009Toms ShoesArgentina Social enterprise—donating shoes;  
2021Patagonia Argentina Climate Innovation MNE 
1999Xerox Brazil Created schools and sports opportunities for youth living in favelas. 
2004 Motorola Brazil Supporting local rule of law initiatives; athletic programs for at-risk youth.  
2006 Sambazon Brazil Environmentally sustainable practices and working with local farmers to support livlihoods 
2007 Transnational Automotive Group Cameroon Employee training; good recruiting practices; occupational health and safety. 
2013 Taylor Guitars Cameroon Sustainable wood harvesting 
2006 Goldman Sachs Chile Donated large amount of land for nature preserve;  
2016 Bureo Inc. Chile Sustainable Oceans Management 
2002 Chindex International China Pro-bono heathcare services 
2008 Cargill China Rural education; disaster relief 
2006  General Motors Colombia Reintegration of former paramilitary forces through training and providing jobs.   
2008 SURevolution Colombia Working with vulnerable and disadvantaged communities on livelihoods;  
2024Branch of Microsoft ColombiaColombia Innovation to Strengthen Communities
2005 Lapa Rios Costa Rica Eco-hotel with environmentally sustainable practices 
2022 Intel Costa Rica Inclusive Economic Growth 
2023 Parsyl Côte d’IvoireSustainable Supply Chains SME 
2019 Chambers Federation Democratic Republic of the Congo Women’s Economic Empowerment 
2022 Drinkwell Dhaka, Bangladesh  Climate Resilience 
2002 Coca-Cola Egypt Employee literacy program;  
2020 Coca-Cola (Multinational Enterprise) Embassy  Women’s Economic Empowerment 
1999 F.C. Schaffer and Associates Ethiopia Support with sugar production in time of natural disasters; environmental stewardship 
2018 PVH Corp Ethiopia Sustainable Operations 
2024Parker ClayEthiopiaWomen’s Economic Security
2004 Fiji Water Fiji Directs percentage of revenue to a social trust fund to improve local communities; supporting higher education for employees; disaster relief after flooding. 
2016 McDonald’s Deutschland  Germany Inclusive Hiring Practices 
2010 Mars, Inc.  Ghana Livelihood programs with local farmers 
2021 Zipline Ghana Health Security SME 
2010 Denimatrix Guatemala Medical clinics for employees 
2009 Trilogy International Partners Haiti Education scholarships; environmental stewardship 
2013  Fruit of the Loom Honduras Labor rights—freedom of association and collective bargaining agreement with employees 
2022 Gap, Inc. India Responsible Business Operations  MNE 
2019 PepsiCo  India Sustainable Operations  
2021 Mastercard  India Economic Inclusion MNE 
2024Bank of America in IndiaIndia Women’s Economic Security
2007  GE Indonesia Education programs; environmental stewardship; work with persons with disabilities; disaster relief 
2015 East Bali Cashews Indonesia Small or Medium Enterprise 
2010 Cisco Israel Investing in program teams made up of Palestinians, working together with Israeli programmers; youth programs.  
2023 Avertra Corp Jordan Women’s Economic Security   SME 
2005  Cisco Systems, Inc.  Jordan Supporting education initiatives, particularly in the areas of math and technology.  
2023 Kentegra Biotechnology EPZ Ltd Kenya Innovation  SME 
2000 Motorola Malaysia Scholarships, natural disaster response 
2013 Plantronics Mexico Solar facilities at factory; investment in employees’ health, education, etc.  
2014 Wagner Asia Mongolia Environmental stewardship, including through PPP with government 
2021 Purnaa Enterprises Nepal  Economic Inclusion SME 
2000 Rayonier, Inc.  New Zealand Subsidizes employee educations; working with local land owners on environmental management 
2011 Sahlman Seafoods, Inc.  Nicaragua Hiring women; food for homeless youth; scholarships and uniforms for local schools; reduced water usage 
2014 EconPlanet Bamboo Nicaragua Sustainable development and environmental stewardship 
2003 ChevronTexaco Nigeria Healthcare to local communities;  
2016 Andela  Nigeria Small or Medium Enterprise   
2011  Procter & Gamble NigeriaNigeria: water purification; maternal health.  
2020 AES  Panama  Sustainable Energy Security 
2016   Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde S.A.A.  Peru Transparent Operations 
2016 Interface Inc.  Philippines Sustainable Oceans Management  
2014 Coca-Cola Philippines  Disaster relief utilizing distribution network  
2024RizomePhilippines  Climate Resilience
2023 Google Poland Poland Women’s Economic Security  MNE 
2023 Ampersand USA Inc.  Rwanda Sustainable Supply Chains MNE 
2012 Sowarthe Rwanda Environmental sustainability; worker rights;  
2020 Abbott  Rwanda Innovation 
2016 General Electric   Saudi Arabia Inclusive Hiring Practices 
2019 Procter & Gamble Asia Pacific  Singapore Women’s Economic Empowerment 
2021 3M Singapore Health Security MNE 
2003  U.S. Steel Corporation Slovakia Improved benefits and compensation after purchasing subsidiary; helped build new wing in Children’s hospital and donated equipment 
2021 Whirlpool  Slovakia Economic Inclusion MNE (Alternate winner) 
2021 Aerosol Slovenia Climate Innovation MNE (Alternate winner)  
2001 Ford Motor Company South Africa HIV/AIDS program for employees 
2022 Anova Technical Services, LLC Surabaya, Indonesia Responsible Business Operations  SME 
2024NewmontSurinameClimate Resilience
2018Alaffia  Togo Women’s Economic Empowerment 
2024Koster KeunenTogo Innovation to Strengthen Communities
2019 Agilis Partners   Uganda Sustainable Operations  
2000 Frigorifico Canelones Uruguay Won Green Certificate from government; donates school supplies; works with homeless and abused youth 
2015  Weyerhaeuser Productos S.A.  Uruguay Environmental Sustainability 
2001 Solar Electric Light Company Vietnam Providing power/electricity to those not on the grid; small interest loans for women;  
2012 Intel Vietnam Helping universities improve their science and tech programs; innovative recycling programs at plants 
2015 Cargill Vietnam Ltd. Vietnam Human Rights and Labor Rights 
2021 Australis Aquaculture  Vietnam Climate Innovation SME 

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