diff --git a/tools/export/__init__.py b/tools/export/__init__.py
index 4f7ba95dc8..d419077451 100644
--- a/tools/export/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/export/__init__.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 from tools.export import codered, ds5_5, iar, makefile
 from tools.export import emblocks, coide, kds, simplicityv3, atmelstudio
 from tools.export import sw4stm32, e2studio, zip, cmsis, uvision, cdt
-from tools.export.exporters import OldLibrariesException, FailedBuildException
 from tools.targets import TARGET_NAMES
 
 EXPORTERS = {
diff --git a/tools/export/cmsis/__init__.py b/tools/export/cmsis/__init__.py
index 48d526ca9e..b953227f5a 100644
--- a/tools/export/cmsis/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/export/cmsis/__init__.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ class DeviceCMSIS():
     """CMSIS Device class
 
     Encapsulates target information retrieved by arm-pack-manager"""
-    cache = Cache(True, False)
+
+    CACHE = Cache(True, False)
     def __init__(self, target):
         target_info = self.check_supported(target)
         if not target_info:
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ class DeviceCMSIS():
         t = TARGET_MAP[target]
         try:
             cpu_name = t.device_name
-            target_info = DeviceCMSIS.cache.index[cpu_name]
+            target_info = DeviceCMSIS.CACHE.index[cpu_name]
         # Target does not have device name or pdsc file
         except:
             try:
diff --git a/tools/export/exporters.py b/tools/export/exporters.py
index ae7ad692eb..439d4697f6 100644
--- a/tools/export/exporters.py
+++ b/tools/export/exporters.py
@@ -11,16 +11,6 @@ import copy
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP
 
 
-class OldLibrariesException(Exception):
-    """Exception that indicates an export can not complete due to an out of date
-    library version.
-    """
-    pass
-
-class FailedBuildException(Exception):
-    """Exception that indicates that a build failed"""
-    pass
-
 class TargetNotSupportedException(Exception):
     """Indicates that an IDE does not support a particular MCU"""
     pass
@@ -146,9 +136,31 @@ class Exporter(object):
     def group_project_files(self, sources):
         """Group the source files by their encompassing directory
         Positional Arguments:
-        sources - array of sourc locations
+        sources - array of source locations
 
         Returns a dictionary of {group name: list of source locations}
         """
         data = sorted(sources, key=self.make_key)
         return {k: list(g) for k,g in groupby(data, self.make_key)}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def build(project_name, log_name='build_log.txt', cleanup=True):
+        """Invoke exporters build command within a subprocess.
+        This method is assumed to be executed at the same level as exporter
+        project files and project source code.
+        See uvision/__init__.py, iar/__init__.py, and makefile/__init__.py for
+        example implemenation.
+
+        Positional Arguments:
+        project_name - the name of the project to build; often required by
+        exporter's build command.
+
+        Keyword Args:
+        log_name - name of the build log to create. Written and printed out,
+        deleted if cleanup = True
+        cleanup - a boolean dictating whether exported project files and
+        build log are removed after build
+
+        Returns -1 on failure and 0 on success
+        """
+        raise NotImplemented("Implement in derived Exporter class.")
diff --git a/tools/export/iar/__init__.py b/tools/export/iar/__init__.py
index 6e63016d30..d9b92db4f3 100644
--- a/tools/export/iar/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/export/iar/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import re
 import sys
 
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP
-from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, FailedBuildException
+from tools.export.exporters import Exporter
 import json
 from tools.export.cmsis import DeviceCMSIS
 from multiprocessing import cpu_count
diff --git a/tools/export/makefile/__init__.py b/tools/export/makefile/__init__.py
index 8c342a7b84..cf67940bae 100644
--- a/tools/export/makefile/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/export/makefile/__init__.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class Makefile(Exporter):
     @staticmethod
     def build(project_name, log_name="build_log.txt", cleanup=True):
         """ Build Make project """
-        # > Make -C [project directory] -j
+        # > Make -j
         cmd = ["make", "-j"]
         p = Popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
         ret = p.communicate()
diff --git a/tools/export/uvision/__init__.py b/tools/export/uvision/__init__.py
index ab0cb33b5f..14eedbc637 100644
--- a/tools/export/uvision/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/export/uvision/__init__.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import re
 
 from tools.arm_pack_manager import Cache
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP
-from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, FailedBuildException
+from tools.export.exporters import Exporter
 from tools.export.cmsis import DeviceCMSIS
 
 cache_d = False
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ class Uvision(Exporter):
 
     @staticmethod
     def build(project_name, log_name='build_log.txt', cleanup=True):
+        """ Build Uvision project """
+        # > UV4.exe -r -j0 -o [log_name] [project_name].uvprojx
         success = 0
         warn  = 1
         cmd = ["UV4.exe", '-r', '-j0', '-o', log_name, project_name+".uvprojx"]