--- title: CAT Squared recognized for excellence in global trade description: CAT Squared receives the Arkansas Governor's Award for excellence in global trade. image: https://www.catsquared.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Gov-Award-2016-2.jpg --- [![logo-web-white](https://www.catsquared.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-web-white.png?width=250&height=129&name=logo-web-white.png) ![logo-web-color](https://www.catsquared.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-web-color.png?width=250&height=129&name=logo-web-color.png) ](https://www.catsquared.com?hsLang=en) [![Request a Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/5976339/e5150a58-a274-410c-a164-4ef1b1555b90.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5976339/e5150a58-a274-410c-a164-4ef1b1555b90) [**](https://www.catsquared.com/blog/cat-squared-recognized-for-excellence-in-global-trade#tmpmodule_1568761248550301) ** ###### 1 min read # [CAT Squared recognized for excellence in global trade](https://www.catsquared.com/blog/cat-squared-recognized-for-excellence-in-global-trade) By [Kathy Barbeire](https://www.catsquared.com/blog/author/kathy-barbeire) on May 27, 2016 5:09:18 PM ###### Topics: [cat squared news](https://www.catsquared.com/blog/topic/cat-squared-news?hsLang=en) ![Governor's Award for Excellence in Global Trade (Left to right) Phillip Schoeman, Internal IT Specialist; Tyler Carroll, Implementation Specialist; Mark Bowden, Research & Development Manager; Donna Henderson, Project Administrator; Kathy Barbeire-Bruton, Marketing Manager; Vernon Smith, CEO; William Burgess, Chairman, ArDEC; Artistides Urdaneta, Sr. Software Engineer](https://www.catsquared.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Gov-Award-2016-2.jpg) On Tuesday, May 24, CAT Squared was recognized with the *Governor's Award for Excellence in Global Trade* by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas District Export Council (ArDEC). The 7th annual awards luncheon recognized exporting excellence among Arkansas's manufacturers and service providers. CAT Squared develops manufacturing software for the industrial food processing industry. Their products include systems that manage real-time data collection from the plant floor, real-time reporting for production and inventory, and farm-to-fork traceability. ![CEO Vernon Smith at the podium with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson](https://www.catsquared.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Asa-and-Vernon-204x300-1.jpg?width=204&name=Asa-and-Vernon-204x300-1.jpg) During his acceptance speech, CAT Squared CEO Vernon Smith commented that he and co-founder Stefan Schoeman (both educated in South Africa) arrived to the state with little more than a few suitcases and aspirations. "Twenty years later, our company has grown to the point where we are supporting customers on six continents." "These Arkansas businesses are great examples of how important international trade is to our economic well-being," said Governor Hutchinson. "The overall volume of exports from Arkansas has increased over the last five years thanks to businesses such as these looking to expand their opportunities around the globe." The Arkansas Governor's Awards for Excellence in Global Trade is designed to publicly recognize Arkansas companies and their employees who contribute to the economy through international trade. The complete list of award recipients included: - Large Manufacturer Exporter- Easterline Defense Technologies - Medium Manufacturer Exporter - CAT Squared - Small Manufacturer Exporter - RH Preyda - Agricultural Export Award- Cobb-Vantress, Inc. - Arkansas Rising Star - Rock Town Distillery, Inc. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Kathy Barbeire](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/479ecbdebd3158d1e27b7bcfc1ecd8e2) #### Written by [Kathy Barbeire](https://www.catsquared.com/blog/author/kathy-barbeire) Kathy Barbeire is Senior Manager of Marketing at CAT Squared, where she helps communicate the role of connected software, operational data, and manufacturing execution systems in modern food production. Since joining CAT Squared in 2015, she has developed content that helps meat, poultry, egg, and further processing companies better understand topics such as MES, traceability, food safety, quality, inventory control, ERP integration, and plant-floor visibility. Kathy’s work focuses on turning complex technical and operational concepts into clear, practical stories for food manufacturers navigating change. She supports CAT Squared’s mission to help processors reduce manual work, improve visibility, strengthen traceability, and turn operational complexity into clarity. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing, graduating magna cum laude with minors in Sociology and Information Technology, as well as an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before joining CAT Squared, Kathy worked with nonprofit organizations in data analysis, stakeholder engagement, program evaluation, and community outreach. 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