Joseph's Lite Cookies

Company: Joseph's Lite Cookies, Deming NM
Company Description: Joseph's Lite Cookies was founded in 1986 by the Semprevivos. The Company produces great tasting, award winning sugar-free cookies, sugar-free maple syrup, sugar-free peanut butter,and fat-free cookies. Joseph's Lite Cookie brand, carried by more than 125,000 retailers in 35 countries, is the only cookie in the world to be endorsed and recommended by the National Diabetes Outreach.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive

Nomination Title: Joseph Semprevivo, CEO/President

   1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Joseph Semprevivo has been an innovator since childhood.  At the age of nine,
Joseph was diagnosed with diabetes.  At 12, Joseph developed the first sugar-free
ice cream in the world and to share it with other diabetics sold it in 197
stores in New Mexico.  At the age of 15, he asked his parents to develop a sugar-free cookie which he could enjoy.  This was the first sugar-free cookie in America. 
Joseph's Lite Cookies was born in 1986 out of this need for a good tasting cookie
that a young diabetic could enjoy and share with others. 

Semprevivo is now the CEO/President of that company begun in the small New
Mexico town of Deming.

Joseph's Lite Cookies, headed by Joseph, still maintains a major presence in
Deming and offers lifetime employment for its dedicated Team Members.  Joseph
says, "As long as I have a company, you have a job."  Other benefits are a 401K,
health benefits, paid vacation, perfect attendance bonuses, production bonuses,
and profit sharing.

The factory is currently undergoing a $3.25 million expansion from 44,000 square
feet to 52,000 square feet to meet the expanding need of diabetics and health-
conscious people of the world for sugar-free and fat-free products.  The bakery,
which now produces more than 2.5 million cookies a day, will be producing 12.3
million a day dy the end of November and hiring 25 new team members in all
functions bringing the total number of team members to between 65 and 75.

At age 17, Joseph was presented the American Success Award by President
George Bush in a White House ceremony.  Under Joseph's leadership, in 2004
alone, Joseph's Lite Cookies received the New Mexico Governor's VIVA (Vision,
Investment, Vitality, Action) Award presented to the Company October 28, 2004,
and the American Tasting Institute Awrd, Quality Hero Award, and Superior Product Award.

Semprevivo is a member of the Rotary Club, Board of Directors of the Associatio of Commerce and Industry, Business Advisory Council of NMSU and Knights of
Columbus and is a guest professor at NMSU in accounting, finance, marketing,
and management.

2004 saw the launching of "My Mommys Cookies", a company organized to
provide 100% of its profits to fulfill a guaranteed minimum pledge of $10
million to New Mexico State University's cancer research project.

In 1997, Joseph received his bacherlor's degree in Marketing and in Management
from New Mexico State University and he now provides full-ride scholarships each
semester to two NMSU students.  NMSU is naming its business school
the "Semprevivo School of Business."

Joseph is working with the U. S. Department of Education on an initiative to
promote healthful eating in schools.

The enterprise begun by Joseph at age 12 and expanded to 197 stores in New
Mexico by his 15th year will be at 125,000 retailers and in 35 countries with a
plant of 52,000 square feet employing 65 to 75 team members by the end of this
year, Joseph's 33rd year.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about this nominee:

Semprevivo, diagnosed with diabetes at age nine, with his parents developed
America's first sugar-free cookie and founded Joseph's Lite Cookies in 1986.  With more than 15 years of experience in the Company in various positions, Joseph
was named CEO/President.  At age 17, Joseph was presented the American
Success Award by President George Bush in a White House ceremony. 
Semprevivo is a member of the Rotary Club, Board of Directors of Association of
Commerce and Industry, Business Advisory Council of NMSU and Knights of
Ciolumbus and is a guest professor at NMSU in accounting, finance, marketing,
and management.