[June 12, 2014] |
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Acadian Seaplants Expansion Good News Story of the Year
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia --(Business Wire)--
The completion of Acadian Seaplants Limited's enhanced production
facility and its acquisition of Ireland's largest seaweed company
combined to become BioNova's good news story of the year for 2013/14.
The announcement was made this evening at a gathering to celebrate the
life sciences industry's successes over the past year.
Acadian Seaplants, the global leader in the processing of seaweed-based
products has made headlines recently with the completion of its
multi-million dollar expansion in Cornwallis and the purchase of
Arramara Teoranta on the west coast of Ireland, cementing the company's
position as the largest company of its kind in the world.
"We're honoured to be receiving the Good News Story award," Jean-Paul
Deveau, President of Acadian Seaplants said. "Everyone has been working
hard these last few years and yes, we've taken risks, but with a global
vision, excellent technologies, excellent products and a great team,
those risks are paying off." Deveau added that being acknowledged by his
peers at BioNova was most rewarding. "The life sciences industry is
inherently risky and we're all working hard under challenging conditions
to grow our businesses," he said. "I'm flattered that we've been
recognized amongso many good stories."
Back in 2009, when most companies were slowing down because of the
looming recession, Acadian Seaplants announced it would be expanding its
Cornwallis plant to improve quality, boost productivity and increase
exports. The grand opening of the Deveau Centre, which has improved
production capacity by as much as 80 percent, takes place next week.
A selection panel comprised of three business journalists chose the
Acadian Seaplants story among several others from the past 12 months.
"I like the risk taking side of the Acadian Seaplants story," said one
of the panel members. "I like how adept they were at reacting to the
economic challenges and changes in their markets."
According to BioNova CEO Marli MacNeil, 2013-14 was marked by a number
of compelling stories for the life sciences community.
"There were a number of important milestones reached in the past year
including significant investment being raised, new products being
launched, positive clinical trial results and recognition for the
innovators and entrepreneurs in the region," she said. MacNeil added
that with so much good news, she was glad she didn't have to choose the
winning story.
The announcement was made at BioNova's Good News and Blues networking
reception. In addition to highlighting the achievements in the past
year, the event featured three bands made up of members of the life
sciences community: Dalhousie School of Biomedical Engineering's No
Longer Hip; The Replayables, made up of ACOA employees; and the
Innovators featuring staff members from Innovacorp.
About BioNova
BioNova is Nova Scotia's life sciences organization, representing
companies working in drug & vaccine development, medical technologies,
natural health products & nutraceuticals, digital health and
bioproducts, as well as research organizations, service providers and
other supporters.
About Acadian Seaplants
Acadian Seaplants Limited is a fully-integrated, bio-tech manufacturer
of premium agricultural products, cultivated sea-vegetables and
functional ingredients derived from select species of aquatic plants.
Founded in 1981, Acadian established the seaweed industry in Canada and
today is the world leader in marine plant products for people, animals
and plants with exports to over 80 countries.
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