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Target Marine among B.C.s best

Small Business BC Awards

Target Marine Hatcheries, crafters of Northern Divine caviar took home the ‘Best International Trade’ award at the 12th annual Small Business BC Awards gala in Vancouver Feb. 26.

The Best International Trade award, recognizes the top company with an exciting and viable trade business that is contributing to the B.C economy.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must be currently operating a business in B.C. that actively imports and/or exports from/to international markets, and has less than 50 employees.

“All of the people at Target Marine earned this award and I am honored to be a part of that team,” said general manager Justin Henry. “The export demand for our Northern Divine caviar is growing in China, the U.S. and other markets around the globe. I hope that our story can inspire other small business people to be patient, to be persistent, and to be passionate.”

The Sunshine Coast community as well as chefs and retailers throughout the province nominated Target Marine for the award.

The company was required to submit an extended application to Small Business BC detailing their strategies to gain international distribution. Target Marine was then selected as a top five finalist and went on to face a Dragons’ Den-style panel of judges where they shared their story on how a small group of fish farmers crafted a top quality caviar that is now being sold globally and recognized as one of the ‘best sustainable caviars in the world.’

This year’s Small Business BC Awards were a tremendous success with record-breaking participation. The winners, in 10 categories, proved their excellence by competing against more than 460 nominees from 70 communities across the province during this rigorous five-month contest.

“We are extremely proud to help showcase the diverse talent and tremendous determination that exists amongst B.C.’s entrepreneurs. We congratulate the winners of the Small Business BC Awards and hope to see even more businesses recognized for their success next year,” said George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC.

More information on this year’s winners can be found at www.sbbcawards.ca. Nominations for the Small Business BC Awards open on Oct. 1, 2015; all businesses in B.C. are encouraged to participate.