LEWISTON – Carol Ann Coultas, business reporter for the Sun Journal, has received a top award in the Society of American Business Editors and Writers 12th annual Best in Business contest.

Coultas won for her in-depth look last year at Brazil’s booming papermaking industry, and how it relates to Maine’s industry.

Judges said her entry – called “Seeing Green” – was an “ambitious, relevant and tough assessment of the critical local paper industry, relating how South America stole the competitive momentum, and what Maine has to do to recover – if it’s not too late.”

In addition to research done here, Coultas traveled to Brazil with Sun Journal photographer Amber Waterman to see Brazil’s operations firsthand.

Judges noted that the project “demonstrated a major investment in resources and staff time, ingenuity in securing a grant to help with financing, substantial research and dedication, spiced by lively personal impressions of the journalists’ trip to South America.

A lot of bigs: idea, research, effort and service to the community.”

The national contest received 761 entries from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, wire services and Web sites.

Coultas has been with the Sun Journal since 1986 and over the years has held the positions of part-time reporter, Sunday news editor, managing editor days and managing editor nights.