CHANGGE CITY, China, Feb. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zhongpin Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ZHNP) ("Zhongpin"), a leading meat and food processing company in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced that it has received an award for "Most Competitive Brand of China 2006" and "CCTV 2006 Best Employer in Henan Province."
The Ministry of Commerce of the PRC recently held a competition for the most recognized brands in China. The winners were recognized with "Most Competitive Brand of China 2006" award. Only domestic brands sold in both China and international markets qualified for the award. Brands were ranked in five areas: recognition, loyalty, internationalization, devotion, and brand protection. The award is a true representation of consumer brand awareness as the initial selection process was done through a consumer survey. A professional award committee then narrowed down the candidates and selected the winning brands. Zhongpin was one of 6 meat brands to receive the award out of 736 nominations. Awards were decided by 26 nationwide industrial associations representing a variety of industries.
"It is an honor to receive this award," commented Mr. Xianfu Zhu, Chairman and CEO of Zhongpin. "It is representative of our continuous devotion to building a high quality reputable brand and proves the value of Zhongpin's brand with the consumers. The award also reinforces our place in local markets and supports our efforts to build our export markets. We remain committed to building a highly respected brand recognized not only domestically but also internationally."
Another honor awarded to Zhongpin was the "CCTV 2006 Best Employer in Henan Province." This award is given by China Central TV (CCTV). Mr. Rui Chen, Senior Vice President of Zhongpin, represented the company at the award ceremony.
"Since the beginning of Zhongpin, our goal has been to not only create a strong management team, but also create an environment where every employee can maximize his or her intelligence and ability. We believe that our most precious resources are our employees, and we treat them as family. This award proves our success in providing a positive work environment that can help us continue recruiting high quality employees," commented Mr. Zhu.
About Zhongpin Inc.
Zhongpin is a meat and food processing company that specializes in pork and pork products, and vegetables and fruits, in the PRC. Its distribution network in the PRC spans more than 20 provinces and includes over 2,290 retail outlets. Zhongpin's export markets include the European Union, Eastern Europe, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. For more information, visit the website http://www.zpfood.com or contact CCG Elite directly.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Zhongpin's management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: unanticipated changes in product demand, interruptions in the supply of live pigs/raw pork, downturns in the Chinese economy, delivery delays, freezer facility malfunctions, poor performance of the retail distribution network, changes in applicable regulations, and other information detailed from time to time in the Company's filings and future filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
Crocker Coulson, President, or
Leslie Richardson, Financial Writer
CCG Elite
Tel: +1-310-477-9800
Email: crocker.coulson@ccgir.com
Yuanmei Ma, Chief Financial Officer
Zhongpin Inc.
Tel: +86-10-8286-1788