SaltWorks Posts Record Sales.

Seattle-Area Company Leads Sea Salt Revolution

REDMOND, Wash. -- With sales of $5 million in 2006 and a forecast of $10 million in 2007, SaltWorks[TM], Inc. (http://www.seasalt.com) is leading the sea salt revolution. And it is a revolution: This year alone, SaltWorks will sell over 10 million pounds of sea salt.

The company that was founded on owner Mark Zoske's love of gourmet sea salt has come a long way in just a few years. From 2003 to 2006, SaltWorks saw a 2,000% increase in sales -- and there is no slow-down on the horizon.

"Sea salt is one of the fastest-growing segments of the gourmet food industry. Consumer trends indicate the gourmet sea salt market is here to stay," Zoske explained. "Once you start using sea salt, you can never go back. Consumers are looking for healthier gourmet sea salt to purchase and use at home, and they are demanding that manufacturers use natural sea salt in their products."

To meet the demand, SaltWorks is moving out of its 10,000-square-foot Redmond, Wash. building into a facility triple that size in Woodinville, Wash. The new SaltWorks headquarters houses 6,000 square feet of office space, 14,000 square feet of climate-controlled warehouse space, and a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art packaging facility. The new space gives SaltWorks the ability to hold two million pounds of sea salt in inventory, ready for immediate shipment.

Since 2001, SaltWorks has become the bulk sea salt supplier of choice for most of the largest spice companies, food processors and gourmet stores in the U.S. The company launched its Artisan Salt Co. (http://www.artisansalt.com) brand of retail packaged gourmet salts in 2005; Artisan now offers over 30 varieties of salt in three packaging options and is available in hundreds of high-end retailers across the country. The brand's sales have exploded, with projected annual sales of several hundred thousand units.

Greater consumer awareness of health factors may be driving the surging interest in gourmet sea salt. "The new lower-sodium guidelines are a plus for our business," said Zoske. "Now that people are watching their sodium intake very carefully, they're finding that they can get more flavor with less sodium by upgrading to all-natural sea salt."

And SaltWorks does all-natural particularly well. The company buys directly from the farmers that produce the salt -- harvested and dried as it has been for centuries -- and imports it without a middleman.

"SaltWorks is experiencing phenomenal growth because we focus on meeting our customers' needs and offering a great product," Zoske stated.

About SaltWorks[TM], Inc.

Founded in 2002, SaltWorks imports premium gourmet sea salts and bath salts from countries worldwide and supplies them to the wholesale, retail and consumer markets throughout North America. The company is committed to providing the purest, most natural products possible. To learn more, visit http://www.seasalt.com.