The blue-ocean approach encourages entrepreneurs to create uncontested market space instead of competing in "red oceans," where there's likely to be plenty of blood in the water. It's a strategy that Jan Kolański, president of the Colian Group, has embraced and evolved .

Colian Group's ongoing investments and targeted acquisitions had caught the eye of the European Candy Kettle Club — our Candy Industry Kettle Committee equivalent across the pond — who, in turn, nominated Jan Kolański, president of the Colian Group, for the coveted ECKC award in 2017.