StoneAge Waterblast Tools buzzed with excitement Wednesday afternoon when an announcement came over the loudspeaker announcing that the governor was on the property.

Gov. John Hickenlooper came to Durango as part of his statewide tour to sign 19 bills passed by the General Assembly this year.

StoneAge was the 2011 recipient of the Governor’s Award of Excellence in Exporting for a small-sized manufacturer, an award given to Colorado companies that demonstrate a commitment to international trade.

Hickenlooper said the company represents Colorado and Colorado business because of how it treats its employees, who get 10 percent of the firm’s profits.

The company is a leader in producing tools and equipment for water-blasting cleaning and exports its products to 43 countries.

“We sell more than half of our products outside of the country,” said Jerry Zink, vice president of StoneAge.

The governor continued his trip around the city to the Durango Discovery Museum, where he met with community members and encouraged them to give back with donations and help the museum succeed.

He also talked about making sure places like the museum stay vibrant for youths to foster their curiosity and encourage them to develop skills that will solve problems in the future.

A museum focusing on science helps illustrate to children the potential of solar and wind power but reinforces that much work still needs to be done, he said.

“This is a remarkable institution. There is nothing like this in Colorado or, I think, even in the country, but you need to be driven to take it to the next level,” Hickenlooper said.

Durango was the governor’s last stop Wednesday before traveling to Pagosa Springs and Alamosa this morning to meet with community members.

jdahl@durango herald.com