At the 2018 Transatlantic Business Awards, Cleveron was named the Transatlantic Company of the Year for its success of breaking through to the US market and establishing strong business relations with the world’s biggest retailer Walmart. Andrus Viirg was selected as Transatlantic Promoter of the Year in recognition of his achievement for being a great help for many Estonian companies establishing operations on the West Coast and his tremendous efforts promoting E-Estonia all across the US. The Let’s Do It Foundation received the Melissa Wells Corporate Responsibility award for organizing World Cleanup Day — one of the world’s largest civic action campaigns striving to directly address waste and pollution.
“These awards recognize the contributions and positive impact Estonian companies make both at home and in the United States and aim to highlight the importance of transatlantic trade and investment for increasing jobs and prosperity,” said Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Estonia Elizabeth Horst. “As true partners, I think there is much that the United States and Estonia can learn from each other. These awards are concrete proof of that important aspect of our relationship in practice.” She was joined at the ceremony by the Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Rene Tammist, President of the American Chamber of Commerce Estonia Indrek Laul, and Baltic American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) board member Andres Trink.
“Baltic-American Freedom Foundation is very pleased to support the Transatlantic Business Awards program as it highlights the importance of collaboration and individual effort in growing new business, trade, and sharing ideas between Estonia and the US. There is a lot going on between our countries – within the startup community, student exchange, joint research, cooperation between government officials, and various other communities,” said Andres Trink. “In certain areas, such as start-ups and cyber, Estonia is building a visible brand in the US. This is important, as it brings our countries closer and creates more opportunities for everyone in our countries.”
Cleveron, a company from the southern Estonian town of Viljandi, provides Walmart with their Pickup Towers, which are an integral part of Walmart’s innovative omnichannel strategy. As a result of this cooperation, Cleveron has been able to show the true efficacy of its innovative solutions and Walmart has been able to keep up with its competitors in the growing field of e-commerce.
Other finalists for the Transatlantic Company of the Year award included Wolf3D and Bikeep.
The Transatlantic Business Awards is a cooperative venture between the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia that seeks to foster greater innovation and strengthen transatlantic economic ties.