SEATTLE, Sept. 22, 2009 — There is one industry the recession hasn't hurt: gourmet salt. In fact, natural gourmet sea salt is in such high demand, SaltWorks Inc. (http://www.seasalt.com) has just doubled the size of its warehouse and factory – from 35,000 square feet to 70,000.
What's driving the company's growth at a time when economic recovery is moving slowly at best? SaltWorks founder and president Mark Zoske attributes his company's record-breaking year – sales for 2009 are already higher than in years past by a healthy margin – to two factors: consumer demand and newly expanded manufacturing capacity.
"Most natural and gourmet food manufacturing companies have already made the switch to sea salt. Now the rest of the food manufacturers and restaurant chains are moving in that direction as well," Zoske explained. "They're responding to the rapidly growing consumer demand for healthy, natural, sustainable foods that taste good. People today are much more aware of the health benefits and superior taste of sea salt."
On the supply side, SaltWorks has the unique distinction of being the only gourmet salt company that stocks millions of pounds of salt for immediate delivery – up to four million pounds with the recently added warehouse space. That's an attractive feature to the ingredients and manufacturing markets, which don't have the luxury of waiting for their orders to be filled in small batches.
The SaltWorks expansion has also allowed the company to install additional state-of-the-art packaging and processing equipment, an in-house product testing lab and large-volume blending systems. The additional space and equipment enable SaltWorks employees to fill and label 20,000 jars of gourmet salt per eight-hour shift. And because SaltWorks packages sea salt under its own label and also for other companies under the SaltWorks private-label program, the company has added custom equipment, including sifters and color sorters, that will consistently produce the highest-quality gourmet sea salts available.
"I founded SaltWorks seven years ago to share my love of gourmet sea salt with the world, and the world seems to agree that ordinary table salt just can't measure up to sea salt," Zoske commented. "With this expansion, SaltWorks will continue to meet the growing demand for gourmet sea salt."
About SaltWorks Inc.
SaltWorks is America's gourmet sea salt company, founded in 2002 and offering the largest selection and finest brands in the world, including Artisan Salt Company, Fusion, Le Tresor and Pure Ocean. No other company offers as many types, packaging configurations, or grain sizes. The company stocks four million pounds of sea salt in more than 100 different varieties in its Woodinville, WA warehouse, and most orders are ready to ship within 24 hours. All of SaltWorks' natural sea salts are Kosher certified and guaranteed for purity and quality. SaltWorks prides itself on its approach to the sea salt business, focusing on traditional harvesting methods, sustainability, natural processes and quality. All logistics, regulatory compliance, and documentation are handled for customers.
Contact:
Naomi Novotny
SaltWorks Inc.
800-353-7258
425-885-7258
Fax: 425-650-9876
http://www.seasalt.com
http://www.artisansalt.com
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