Bell Aquaculture Named 'Industry of the Year' By Jay County Chamber of Commerce

REDKEY, Ind., Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Aquaculture, the nation's largest yellow perch (Perca flavescens) farm and pioneer in sustainable fish farming operations, was awarded  'Industry of the Year' recognition by the Jay County Chamber of Commerce at its Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet held January 26. The announcement is made by Norman McCowan, president of Bell Aquaculture, who accepted the award on behalf of the Bell Aquaculture team from Jay County Development Corporation's Executive Director Bill Bradley.

Mr. Bradley cited Bell as "an international pacesetter in the field of aquaculture," noting that Bell's "environmentally green industry" recently added a new product this year, organic fertilizer made from the fish processing operation.

"I was very surprised and both thrilled and humbled that Bell Aquaculture was chosen for this special honor. On behalf of our entire company, I thank the Jay County Chamber for singling out Bell Aquaculture and our industry as a whole with this much appreciated public recognition," McCowan said.

Other recipients of the Chamber's top awards included David Clamme, who accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his mother, Rosalie Clamme; Bob Schmit, Citizen of the Year; Robert Banser, Dunkirk Community Commitment Award; and Buzz Keck, general manager of Moser Motors (Business of the Year).

Jay County Chamber of Commerce

Located in Portland, IN, the Jay County Chamber of Commerce is the visionary leader of business, unified to promote and enhance the future of commerce and quality of life. The Chamber serves the communities of Portland, Dunkirk, Redkey, Bryant, Pennville, and Salamonia. For more information, visit: http://www.jaycountychamber.com.  

Bell Aquaculture Operations

The Bell Aquaculture production facility sits on family-owned land in Albany, Indiana, comprising the nation's largest yellow perch farm. The company headquarters are 6 miles north in Redkey, Indiana, where the Bell Perch™ Yellow Perch "leftovers" are processed at its fertilizer plant into Fish Rich® Organic 2-2-2 Fertilizer. OMRI Listed, Fish Rich is made from toxin- and mercury-free fish and has a very mild fish odor.

"Not only is our business a sustainable way to feed people, we are responsible with every aspect of our operation. We're committed to the best technology possible, working with industry experts, initiating research and development, and employing licensed technology from a major university to grow our fish. 

"We have become a true vertically integrated facility: nurturing our fish from egg to full-grown fish right here at the farm. And, because we have our own broodstock, the genetic health of the fish can be protected before new fish are born. Plus, our fish are grown indoors in recirculating aquaculture systems, minimizing danger from outside contamination," McCowan explains. 

About Bell Aquaculture

Bell Aquaculture, headquartered in Redkey, IN, is a producer and processor of farm-raised fish for restaurants and consumer use. Production facilities, dedicated to yellow perch, are located in Albany, IN, and comprise the nation's largest yellow perch farm. More information about Bell Aquaculture is available at http://www.bellaquaculture.com.     

Bell Aquaculture also is found on these social media sites:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BellAquaculture - http://twitter.com/INYellowPerch - http://twitter.com/FriNightFishFry
Fish Rich Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FishRich
Bell Aquaculture Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BellPerch
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/BellAquaculture
News Feed Blog: http://indianayellowperch.blogspot.com

SOURCE Bell Aquaculture