Business of the year

A SHETLAND salmon producer has been named International Business of the Year as part of the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards 2007, the local news source Shetland Marine News reports. Lerwick-based Hjaltland Seafarms was awarded with the price at a gala dinner in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery, on Thursday night. Michael Stark, managing director at Hjaltland, told Shetland Marine News that winning the prestigious award was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the company's workforce. The fish farming company has just been bought by the Norwegian seafood producers Grieg Seafoods, and is also in the process of completing a major expansion to their factory in Lerwick. Mr Stark said the company now had a substantial customer base in 13 countries: "The company's track record of meeting the challenge of delivering product to the other side of the world in just three to four days speaks for itself. "Export sales have risen by over 45 per cent from £5.5 million in 2004 to almost £8 million in 2006. In 2007, we are confident that this figure will increase by a further 20 per cent," he told the news source.