Travel Adventures with Joe: Gov. Sandoval Canadian Trade Mission Edition

joe and brian sandoval at table

Kimmie Candy CEO Joe Dutra was honored to be part of the delegation accompanying Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval on his first Canada trade mission.   It was a historic event in that it was the first trade mission from a Nevada Governor to Canada ever!

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Sandoval leads trade mission to Canada

April 17, 2014

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Gov. Brian Sandoval is heading a delegation of Nevada business and education leaders on a trade mission to Canada.

Meetings with Canadian officials are scheduled this week in Ottawa and Toronto. Sandoval's office says one focus of the trade mission will be unmanned aerial systems and Nevada's role in helping to develop the technology and applications for the emerging industry.

Other sectors the state will highlight include water technology, indoor agriculture and mining.

Canada is Nevada's third largest trade partner and the governor says the Nevada delegation is hoping to build upon that relationship.

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There were approximately 10 business men and women from Nevada represented on the trade mission; as well as approximately 25 governmental, university and business development staff with the Governor as such as the Head Deans of various schools at UNR and UNLV who were developing programs with Canadian universities.

Joe first flew to Montréal on April 14th and stayed two nights at the first Ritz-Carlton in the world. It was a wonderful hotel and yet not very expensive for their delegation.  This was just one benefit of traveling with the Governor.  

The weather was very cold – snowing  and sleeting as he had several meetings in Montréal with gift buyers and nut companies.  

The delegation then flew to Toronto, Canada on the 16th and had a number of meetings with dignitaries from the Canadian government.

Joe also met with the founder of Barrick Gold in Canada, Mr. Peter Munk. He presented him with ChocoRocks and our new Salted Caramel ChocoRocks as a gift from  the state of  Nevada.

One of their speakers was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney.  He was Prime Minister during the Reagan administration. Joe says he was one of the most eloquent speakers he has ever had the pleasure of listening to.

Joe also had the pleasure of being interviewed by a Portuguese journalist covering the Trade Mission:

(We included a rough translation of the article first & original article in Portuguese next just for kicks!)

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Toronto Canada 27 April Lusa

An entrepreneur and a Portuguese Descendent from Nevada in the United States of America, he was nominated for the highest prize of the Candy Industry in that country.  Joseph Dutra, 61 years old, is the Owner and CEO of Kimmie Candy Company and is nominated for the Kettle Awards- in what is the greatest recognition within the industry of sweets in United States. The ceremony will take place on May 20 in Chicago, at The Union League Club of Chicago. 

"This year I was nominated for the Kettle Awards, one of the biggest honors you can have in the production of the candy industry. On May 20 in Chicago I will know if I will win or not at the Sweet and Snacks Expo ", said the businessman to the agency Lusa. 

The third generation Luso (Portuguese) descendent was in Toronto, Canada, as part of the entourage of the Governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, in a business mission as a commercial representative of that province. Canada is Nevada’s third largest trading partner.  Joseph Dutra, explained that his grandfather has origins in Faial (Azores), having emigrated to Sacramento, Calif., with only 18 years of age.

 At an early stage, the candies were produced in a factory in South Korea, which was later acquired and brought to the United States in 2008, to Reno, where the candy factory is located.  It provides markets for nine countries. 

In 2003, Kimmie Candy via its reference product "Choco Rocks" won the award "Product of the Year" in Candy Awards which took place in Long Beach, California. 

According to Joseph Dutra, next year Kimmie Candy should be on the European market, in particular "in Portugal".  But to do that, it will be necessary to adapt the products to European Union standards "by changing a few ingredients". 

"I'm Portuguese, grew up with good food, and created the candy to have a great taste, and to look beautiful like Portuguese women," he praised.

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Lusodescendente nomeado para prémio na indústria de doces nos Estados Unidos

Toronto, Canadá, 27 abril (Lusa) - Um empresário lusodescendente do Nevada, nos Estados Unidos da América, está nomeado para o Prémio da Indústria de Doces daquele país.

Joseph Dutra, de 61 anos de idade, é o proprietário e presidente executivo da Kimmie Candy Company, e está nomeado para os Kettle Awards, naquele que é o maior reconhecimento dentro da indústria dos doces nos Estados Unidos. A cerimónia terá lugar no próximo dia 20 de maio, em Chicago, no "The Union League Club of Chicago.

"Este ano fui nomeado para os Kettle Awars, é uma das maiores honras que se pode ter na produção do ramo da indústria dos doces. No dia 20 de maio em Chicago saber-se-á se vencerei ou não na Expo Sweet and Snaks", disse o empresário à agência Lusa.

O lusodescendente de terceira geração esteve em Toronto, no Canadá, integrando a comitiva do Governador do Nevada Brian Sandoval, numa missão empresarial e comercial que representantes daquela província efetuaram ao seu terceiro maior parceiro comercial.

Joseph Dutra, explicou que seu avô tem origens no Faial (Açores), tendo emigrado para Sacramento, na Califórnia, com apenas 18 anos de idade.

Numa fase inicial, os doces eram produzidos numa fábrica na Coreia do Sul, que mais tarde foi adquirida e trazida para os Estados Unidos em 2008, para Reno, onde está localizada a fábrica de doces, que fornece mercados de nove países.

Em 2003, a Kimmie Candy através do seu produto de referência "Choco Rocks" conquistou o prémio "Produto do Ano" nos Galardões dos Doces que tiveram lugar em Long Beach, Califórnia.

Segundo Joseph Dutra, no próximo ano devem estar no mercado europeu, nomeadamente "em Portugal". Mas para isso, será necessário adaptar os produtos às normas da União Europeia "alterando alguns ingredientes".

"Sou português, cresci com boa comida portuguesa, e desenhei os doces para terem um bom sabor, para serem bonitos como as mulheres portuguesas", enalteceu, salientado também que futuramente está a pensar em "adquirir o passaporte português".

O Nevada, com cerca de 2,7 milhões de habitantes, é um dos cinquenta estados dos EUA e está localizado nas Montanha Rochosas. Calcula-se que residam cerca de 30 mil portugueses e lusodescendentes naquela região.

SEYM // PJA

Lusa/Fim