Published on 11 February 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anchorage, AK – May 3, 2007

GLOBAL FOOD ALASKA - 2007
Semi-Finalists Announced For Leadership Recognition

Organizers of Global Food Alaska – 2007 are pleased to announce the 9 semi-finalists for this year’s Recognition of Achievement Award.   The finalists in each category will be announced at a special awards dinner on June 13, 2007 at Global Food Alaska – 2007.

The Recognition of Achievement Award acknowledges and profiles the efforts of those who have persevered to build a sustainable and competitive business from Alaska’s food, beverage or bio products. The award recognizes leadership by those who have succeeded or beat the odds in making commercial success of Alaska’s bounty and made a positive difference.   Nominees were sought out who created a successful business through the application of commitment, dedication, hard work, ingenuity and innovation while meeting Alaska’s challenges of remoteness, geography, weather, technical know how, limited population base and infrastructure.
Semi-finalists were selected in the three following categories.

Grower/Harvester/Direct-Marketer: An individual, who has demonstrated leadership that grows, harvests or markets Alaska food, beverage or bio products.

§         Kevin Sidelinger - Sea Farms of Alaska
§         Bruce Gore - Triad Fisheries
§         Ben VanderWeele - VanderWeele Farms

Manufacturer/Processor: An individual who has demonstrated leadership that processes or manufactures Alaska food, beverage or bio products.

§         Geoff Larson - Alaskan Brewing Company
§         Scott Haines - Denali BioTechnologies
§         Chuck Bundrant - Trident Seafoods

Market Development:   An individual that played a significant role in pulling Alaska food, beverage or bio products into the local, national or international market-place.

§         Ralph Carney - Alaska Chip Company
§         Rob Baer - Alaska Spirit
§         Dr. Maureen McKenzie - Yukon BioSciences

More information on the conference, tradeshow and awards dinner can be located at www.globalfoodalaska2007.com
This year’s awards review committee members were Ruby Hollembaek, Chair (Interior Game Ranch), Susannah Morgan (Food Bank of Alaska), Jeff Jones (Alaska Journal of Commerce), Greg Obeso (Lynden International) and William Quantick (West Coast Paper).

About Global Food Alaska – 2007

Event Website Address: www.globalfoodalaska2007.com

A two day conference and tradeshow. Designed to welcome commercial and institutional buyers, investors and supply chain partners to meet Alaska's commercial harvesters and producers, of food and bio products. The biennial event highlights the diversity of Alaska’s industry and encourages participants to work across industry sectors horizontally and vertically to leverage resources and reduce costs.

Event objectives:

• Set the stage to think bigger maximizing Alaska’s bounty – water, land and location. A demonstration of the bigger picture – living off of our bounty.

• Bring together the collective knowledge of local and national and international experts.

• Recognize leaders who have succeeded or beat the odds – in making commercial success of Alaska’s bounty. Recognize and feature Alaskan leaders who succeeded to develop globally competitive businesses – doing the nearly impossible.

• Reduce the isolation of segmented areas of interest. Identify and maximize common ground. Bring together the leaders in seafood, water, by-products, biodiesel, nutraceuticals, produce, meats and value added and profile common ground in terms of markets, infrastructure and supply chain and encourage collaborative pilot partnerships to support better and stronger business.

• Introduce new products and services that support stronger and more efficient supply chains in and from Alaska to maintain and enhance competitive products.

• Identify common barriers and focus areas of work to combat those barriers for this industry.

• Bring buyers, market and investors to Alaska. Provide highlighted destinations of interest to see how and where product is produced and create a greater understanding and relationship with harvesters and food producing regions not otherwise accessed.

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