05.23.13- Zeigler Wins National Exporter of the Year Award and "E" Award, Along with Regional and State International Trade Honors

For Immediate Release

Contact: Susan Thompson

Ph: (717) 677-3024

Email: susan.thompson@zeiglerfeed.com

Zeigler Wins National Exporter of the Year Award and "E" Award, Along with Regional and State International Trade Honors

Gardners, PA (May 23, 2013) – Following several years of remarkable growth, Zeigler, a third generation, family-owned business specializing in the formulation and manufacture of specialty feeds is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the State of Pennsylvania have extended awards to the company for its export achievements.

In May, the company was awarded Exporter of the Year from the SBA for both Eastern Pennsylvania and the entire Mid-Atlantic region. As one of ten regional finalists, Zeigler then was selected as SBA’s National Exporter of the Year during World Trade Day in Denver. At the federal level, Zeigler has also been chosen as a 2013 recipient of the President’s National Export or "E" Award presented by the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. At the state level, Zeigler was recognized by Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett, at the Governor’s ImPAact Awards ceremony held in Hershey, receiving an Export Impact Award.

Matt Zeigler, Vice President of Operations, recently accepted the SBA National Exporter of the Year award during World Trade Day in Denver saying, "We feel extremely honored and grateful to be recognized for our success in exporting. As a small business, we’ve been fortunate to have had the support of federal agencies such as SBA, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the support of local resources such as the Kutztown Small Business Development Center and World Trade Center of Harrisburg to assist us in our vision to expand globally. Central to this success has been loyal customers and suppliers who have stuck with us through both good and bad times, as well as our dedicated employees who have accepted the challenge to reach out to international markets."

Zeigler specializes in the formulation and manufacture of high-end, specialty feeds for the aquaculture, pet and bio-medical research industries. The company also operates a franchise program that transfers technology to international partner feed mills. Continuous innovation and pursuit of new markets are fundamental to Zeigler’s strategy and its recent success in expanding international sales.

International markets have played an important role in Zeigler’s business for decades. Recently growing demand and aggressive market expansion have drastically helped spur international sales to where the company now exports to over forty countries. Sales in well established markets throughout Latin America continue to grow, and new efforts to expand business elsewhere are proving successful, particularly in West Africa and Southeast Asia. Zeigler’s franchise program presently has active operations in Los Mochis, Mexico (Nutrición Marina S.A de C.V.), Guadalajara, Mexico (Los Belenes, Pronua S.A. de C.V.), and a third plant in Ecuador (PCO Cia. Ltda), scheduled for start-up later this year.

"Over the past four decades, we have retained a strong emphasis on innovation," explained Tim Zeigler, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "Our father instilled this philosophy back in the late 1960s when the commodity feed market was going through difficult times. He recognized the need to innovate and seek out niche markets. As a result, the company began to take on new challenges, travel to different places, understand global needs, and identify unique opportunities where we could deliver sustainable value."

Zeigler was founded in 1935 by brothers Ty and LeRoy Zeigler, who had set aside their orchestra careers to run a water-powered grist feed mill near Gettysburg. The first feeds manufactured were for local farmers and marketed under the Conewago brand, named after the stream which powered their newly purchased mill. In 1967, leadership passed to LeRoy’s son, Dr. Thomas Zeigler, who transitioned the company from a manufacturer of farmed feeds to an internationally recognized producer of specialized animal feeds. Beginning in the 1980s, the company started to license nutritional and manufacturing technologies globally under its Zeigler brand. Today, with Dr. Zeigler supporting R&D efforts, his sons Tim, and Matt Zeigler, direct the company’s operations with a renewed spirit toward technology and innovation.

A strong reputation for innovation and customer satisfaction has been critical to Zeigler’s success, all made possible through a dynamic team dedicated to the company’s mission to be recognized as a global leader. Zeigler is able to attract and retain skilled team members specializing in manufacturing, nutrition, biology, international business and logistics. Knowledgeable and passionate employees are absolutely essential to Zeigler’s highly diverse and unique product offerings. The company is ISO 9001 certified and produces over 300 products ranging from microscopic liquid diets for shrimp larvae to feeds for exotic reptiles.

Over the years, this high level of flexibility and innovation has led Zeigler to develop some very interesting products to meet unique customer demands. Some examples include customized diets for manatees, crickets, alligators, sea urchins, crayfish, exotic birds, and even a product to help remediate oil spills. Zeigler, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health pioneered the development of an "open formulation concept," creating a brand new series of laboratory feeds benefiting bio-medical research. Other notable contributions include providing nutrition support for the panda bears gifted to President Nixon by the Chinese Government, and the development of Stay-C, a water stable version of Vitamin C which is now the industry standard for use in aquatic feeds.

Zeigler is very appreciative to be recognized as a top exporting business in the U.S. and would like to extend its thanks to Martin Brill, Program Manager, International Trade of the Kutztown Small Business Development Center who has been consulting with Zeigler for over 15 years and has played a fundamental role in Zeigler’s recent recognition for its export achievements.

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