SaltWorks CEO, Mark Zoske, Named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

The award recognizes entrepreneurial excellence in the distribution and manufacturing category and was announced at a special gala event at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Friday, June 20, 2014.

WOODINVILLE, Wash., June 26, 2014 — Mark Zoske, CEO of SaltWorks® was named Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 Pacific Northwest in the distribution and manufacturing category. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

SaltWorks was the first and remains the largest gourmet salt company in the world. Mark Zoske has worked for 13 years to alter the public perception of salt from basic commodity to 2-cent luxury per pinch. Zoske's inherent commitment to perfection and his perseverance differentiate SaltWorks salt from any other salts on the market. Beyond making all-natural gourmet salts more accessible to consumers, he has completely revolutionized the way the masses approach everyday salt use.

At the company's inception, salt was enemy number one, low-sodium diets were the doctor's orders, and few people made any distinction between refined and unrefined salt. Rather than being intimidated by the misinformed public, Zoske seized the opportunity to promote change.

SaltWorks has always been about the integrity of the product and appreciating the nuances of all-natural salt. Mark Zoske earned the trust of his customers since day one based on this simple premise: a better option at a competitive price.

For this reason, Mark Zoske spends countless hours dreaming up innovative ways to ensure an unmatched quality and variety of the unadulterated salts that SaltWorks both imports and manufactures, while also promoting the benefits of using these unrefined salts over refined options.

"I'm genuinely honored by the accolade. I've just always believed in our product and our ability to manufacture and distribute it at a standard that speaks for itself," Zoske explains.

Currently, SaltWorks has more than 60 employees and operates out of a 130,000 square foot manufacturing facility. It has been honored on the Inc. 5000 list every consecutive year since 2007 and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

As a Pacific Northwest award winner, Zoske is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014.

About EY:

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

Sponsors:

Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored in the United States by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America.

In the Pacific Northwest, regional sponsors include Merrill Corporation, Perkins Coie LLC, Puget Sound Business Journal, Scherzer International, The Big Picture Video Film & Arts and Union Bank.

About SaltWorks®, Inc.

The most trusted name in the salt business, SaltWorks has been satisfying salt enthusiasts around the world since 2001. Serving wholesale, distributor, and bulk customers as well as individual consumers, SaltWorks offers a superior selection of the highest quality all-natural sea and mineral salts in a range of exact grain sizes and quantities to suit any application. The first and largest specialty salt company in the world, SaltWorks truly pioneered the gourmet salt business and produces the finest brands including Artisan® Salt Company, Fusion® naturally flavored salts, Ancient Ocean® Himalayan Pink Salt, Pure Ocean® Atlantic Sea Salt, Pacific Blue® Kosher Flake Sea Salt, Ultra Epsom® and Bokek® Premium Dead Sea Salt. SaltWorks continues to revolutionize the natural salt industry with their steadfast dedication to innovation, product integrity and world-class customer service. Proudly certified SQF level 2 with an Excellent rating, SaltWorks is also fully HAACP and GMP accredited by NSF International®. All SaltWorks products are all natural, kosher certified and guaranteed for purity and quality.

Discover the SaltWorks Difference and shop the best sea salts in the world at www.seasalt.com.