Press Release
Mexican Shrimp Council Names Hugo Camou as President
Council Announces New Leadership at Annual Meeting in San Diego; Celebrates
Inaugural Year with More Than 600 Contributing Members
San Diego, CA – January 28, 2005 – Mexican shrimp producer and businessman Hugo Camou has been appointed president of the Mexican Shrimp Council (Consejo Mexicano del Camarón), the organization announced at the Council’s annual meeting in San Diego. Camou follows Antonio Diaz, who as founding Council president and CEO of Ocean Garden Products, helped to create this burgeoning industry coalition in 2003.
A founding member and former treasurer of the Mexican Shrimp Council, Camou is the founder and primary shareholder of a group of six Mexico-based companies involved in the aquaculture, computer systems and advertising industries. He is a member of the Mexican National Chamber of Fishing and Aquaculture Industries.
"Authentic Mexican Shrimp already enjoys a level of prestige among culinary connoisseurs, leading chefs and seafood lovers," said Council president, Hugo Camou. "Through our educational efforts, we look forward to further expanding the market for authentic Mexican Shrimp in 2005."
Camou and four board members – Vice Presidents Fernando Hernandez, Jorge Mason and Rafael Ruiz, and Treasurer Dan iel Gutiérrez – will represent the interests of the Council’s bi-national membership. As its first order of business, the new leadership has signed a service agreement with Ocean Garden Products, the largest importer of Authentic Mexican Shrimp into the U.S.
"Mexican shrimp producers, processors and importers have a long-standing commitment to optimum quality assurance from harvest to package," explained Camou. "This emphasis on quality plus our idyllic harvesting habitat make Authentic Mexican Shrimp sets us apart from any other country of origin."
The Council also announced the formation of the "Comision de Vigilancia," a Council committee that will be responsible for reporting accounting information to the membership, preparing an annual report and supervising the administration of the Council in general. The two members of that committee are Enrique Díaz Castro and Miguel Angel Castro Cosío. Diaz is general manager for Marea Alta Comercial, a large aquaculture producer in Sonora, and Castro Cosío is president of Asociación Estatal de Organismos Acuícolas de Sonora, A.C., an organization representing several cooperative shrimp producers.
Under Antonio Diaz’s leadership in its inaugural year, the Mexican Shrimp Council established an organizational identity, implemen ted an integra ted U.S. marketing communications campaign, developed an informational web site and touched hundreds of decision makers within the U.S. foodservice and chef communities. Additionally, the Council succeeded in rapidly growing its support base to more than 600 contributing members.
A cornerstone of the Council’s ongoing communications campaign is the official seal of authenticity awarded for use in packaging and marketing to participating Mexican Shrimp producers who meet quality standards set forth by the Council. Chefs, restaurateurs and retailers who purchase Authentic Mexican Shrimp are guaranteed the highest quality product available.
With members from both Mexico and the U.S., the Council’s primary focus is to educate those who purchase shrimp, in particular the U.S. foodservice industry, about the many reasons why Mexican Shrimp as a premium product tastes better, is of the highest quality and is more satisfying to consumers.
The Mexican Shrimp Council is a group of producers, processors, suppliers and marketers working together to educate the foodservice industry and consumer audiences about the quality aspects and p ric e-value relationship of Authentic Mexican Shrimp. For more information, please visit www.mexicanshrimp.org.
