Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils (www.manitobaharvest.com) is one of the fastest growing private companies in Manitoba, and now they are adding experienced professionals to help maintain their dynamic growth. Today, the Winnipeg-based company has announced that they have named veteran sales executive Ali Connell as Canada National Sales Manager. Prior to joining Manitoba Harvest, Connell gained extensive sales management experience working for leading companies, including Procter & Gamble, Hain Celestial and Clearly Canadian.     

“Ali Connell has an impressive track record of building sales results and taking initiative on strategic sales development,” says Mike Fata, President and co-founder of Manitoba Harvest.  “Nutrition education for retailers and consumers has always been a priority for us, and that area is also one of Ali’s strengths,” notes Fata.  Earlier this year, Manitoba Harvest announced that it closed a Series A round of investment with Avrio Ventures that is helping to fuel the financial, research, product development and production aspects of the business.  “Now that those components have been solidified, we are looking to strengthen the human resources aspect of our team, and the addition of Ali Connell is representative of that initiative,” says Fata.

Hemp is hot.  According to data from marketplace information leader SPINs, hemp grocery sales grew by 42% in 2008, and the Hemp Industries Association estimates the total 2008 retail value of North American hemp food, vitamin and body care product sales to be between $100 million and $120 million. Nutrition experts tout hemp due to its balanced concentration of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids, strong digestible protein profile, plentiful fiber, and abundance of vitamins and minerals.  Hemp foods are the richest vegetable source of Omega 3 & 6.  Hemp also contains all of the essential amino acids and has an overall protein content that is comparable to soy beans and higher than that found in nuts, other seeds, meats, dairy products, fish and poultry.  The role of essential fatty acids in human growth and development, as well as their role in diseases like coronary heart disease, are hot research areas.  Health-savvy consumers are also finding that in addition to being a nutritional powerhouse, hemp foods have a great flavor and gourmet appeal.

About Manitoba Harvest

Founded in 1998, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils is the largest vertically integrated hemp food manufacturer in the world.  The company mission is to create the healthiest hemp foods, to educate the public about healthy lifestyle choices and to support sustainable and organic agriculture.  Manitoba Harvest produces cold-pressed Hemp Oil, Shelled Hemp Seed, Hemp Seed Butter and a line of Hemp Protein Powders at their new, certified organic state-of-the-art facility.  They also produce Hemp Bliss® - the award-winning and first-ever line of organic non-dairy hempmilks.  In addition to their own popular brand of hemp foods, Manitoba Harvest supplies many other leading consumer brands with nutraceutical and functional hemp food ingredients. 

In February 2009, Manitoba Harvest partnered with Renewable Choice Energy to offset 100% of their facility's electricity with wind power offsets, and all of their facility's natural gas usage through carbon offsets.  The program demonstrates Manitoba Harvest's strong commitment to sustainability, their support for wind power and renewable energy, and their dedication toward the fight against global climate change.  To learn more, please visit www.manitobaharvest.com.