Alizés Awards finalists announced

Rustica Foods, Quebec

From a small family business in 2000, it has grown into a well-established pizza manufacturing plant equipped with state-of-the-art custom production equipment. In addition to creating products that stand out in the market and being the leader in its sector, Rustica Foods is committed to achieving excellence at all levels in order to exceed the expectations of its customers. With a well-defined export development strategy, a wide variety of products, an excellent understanding of consumers, Rustica Foods was able to capture the attention of the jury.

Schep’s Bakeries, Ontario

Schep’s Bakeries, a family business, is the only manufacturer of stroopwafels (literally waffles in syrup) in North America. The company now sells its products baked according to tradition in several large retail stores, and hundreds of thousands of stroopwafels are sold in the United States each year. With a high percentage of its sales abroad, Schep’s Bakeries diversified its markets thanks to its monitoring skills and adaptation strategies which won over the jury.

Category | Large company

Bio Biscuit, Quebec

As a family business specializing in the manufacturing of oven-baked biscuits, treats and food for dogs and cats, Bio Biscuit has been offering, for more than 20 years, high-end products designed by a team of animal nutrition specialists. Respecting the best quality criteria is a strong value at Bio Biscuit, both in the choice of ingredients and during the manufacturing process. The jury greatly appreciated Bio Biscuit’s highly effective market adaptation strategy, which provides stability and growth in more than twenty markets, both established and emerging.

Clearwater Seafoods, Nova Scotia

Clearwater Seafoods is one of the largest vertically integrated seafood companies in North America. Owner of offices, processing plants and vessels, Clearwater operates on an ocean-to-plate basis with a focus on sustainability, a core value expressed in its practices, such as healthy oceans and responsible fishing. Recognized worldwide for the superior quality of its wild seafood, Clearwater Seafoods impressed the jury with the diversity of its export markets and its ability to consolidate markets.

Fruit d’Or, Quebec

A leader in berry processing, Fruit d´Or is the world’s number one producer of organic cranberries and the second-largest processor of organic wild blueberries. Its superior quality products are popular in the food, nutraceuticals and cosmetics sectors, demonstrating that it is possible to combine organic agriculture and cutting-edge technology. With a clear deployment strategy and precise objectives, Fruit d’Or was able to secure a choice position in foreign markets, which particularly pleased the jury.

“It was essential for us to celebrate the work of the exporting companies and, by extension, of the entire agri-food industry, who have been working very hard, especially in the last few months. For this reason, we did not hesitate to migrate to a virtual unveiling” underlines Martin Lavoie, CEO of the Export Group. “Everyone is invited to join us in recognizing the work of the industry through this all-new virtual event.”

The Export Group thanked all of the jury members as well as its main partners: FCC, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sophie Côté Assurance-Crédit inc. the Actualité Alimentaire magazine, Agro-Québec, Food in Canada and Comexposium – SIAL Canada. The jury members were:

Louis Turcotte (jury’s Chairperson)
Senior Director Agribusiness and Agri-Food
FCC

Miriam Feltham-Lauzon, M.Sc.
Senior Associate | Global Trade – Consumer
Export Development Canada

Martin Lemire RD, MA
Vice-President
EDIKOM, L’Actualité Alimentaire, Dux, Les Prix GAÏA, Le Must Magazine

Geneviève Marcotte
Executive Director
Missions commerciales de l’Université Laval

Marie-Claude Massicotte
Acting Deputy Director
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada