Mile-high efficiency
Nov 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By David A Kolman
One would expect the Seattle Fish Company to have a lovely water view, as Seattle, Washington, is right off Puget Sound. But this 90-year-old company is far from the water, situated in an industrial area, more than 1,300 miles away in Denver, Colorado. Nevertheless, it is one of the largest wholesale distributors of fresh and frozen fish and seafood west of the Mississippi River.
The Seattle Fish Company brings in, by land and air, fresh seafood and fish from three coasts, as well as from port cities around the world. Truckloads of product arrive every week, and shipments are flown in seven days a week. Roughly half of the products come by truck, the other half by aircraft.
A wide variety of products include catfish, caviar, salmon, shellfish, trout, tuna, and fish from the East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast, and Hawaii. The company's slogan, since almost its beginning: “If it swims, we have it.”
“All of our fish is top of the catch, and quality is assured,” said Derek Figueroa, chief financial officer and manager of operations for Seattle Fish Company. Its inventory turns “very quickly,” with high-volume products brought in weekly.
Half of the company's business is with supermarkets — both national chains and independents. The other half is with restaurants, hotels, and foodservice operations. About 80 percent of the business is fresh fish and seafood; the other 20 percent is frozen. The majority of its customers are in Colorado.
“Our business has changed considerably over the years,” Figueroa said. “Beyond the change in product mix from mostly frozen to mostly fresh, we used to do significantly more retail sales, and even had our own retail store. As our business with such traditional retailers as grocery stores and fish markets grew, we didn't want to compete with them.” Seattle Fish Company shut down its retail operation in the late 1980s.
Shipping modes
Seattle Fish Company gets three truckloads on Thursdays and Sundays. Seattle, Washington-based Port Side Trucking brings in product from the Northwest. Colorado Atlantic of Boston, Massachusetts, transports product from the East Coast. Product from the Gulf Coast is hauled in by Lakes Trucking of Miami, Florida.
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