Happy birthday to us!
Our fishermen-owned co-op's charter was signed May 12th, 1944, and this August we were finally able to celebrate together. The fish mongers and bean counters from our Bellingham, WA Sales and Accounting office came up to Sitka, Alaska to join the fishermen, the fish cutters, the engineers, and all the others who make this co-op succeed and have kept it alive and thriving. Over 120 people were in attendance to celebrate 80 years of being a legend.
The story of the 80 years of our co-op is one of perseverance and pride.
One guest, Mike Sutton, poured the concrete for our Sitka, Alaska plant, which was built in the early 1980s. Mike also has been a fisherman and a worker in the plant. And, as he noted, the plant workers are the very engine of the entire operation. Because of what they do, the fishermen can lead a very unique lifestyle on the ocean. Since our inception, our co-op has helped to support a traditional way of life for fishermen and preserve the independence of what is, by nature, an independent way of life. As a cooperative, we are built on the support of our fishermen-owners and the plant workers are the engine behind this work.
Thoughout its history, our co-op has remained independent--for fishermen, by fishermen--throughout the many ups and downs of the markets and food trends. Our co-op has kept our community of fishermen on the grounds by stabilizing and supporting dock prices for fishermen. Fishermen get what their fish is worth on the market.
Fishermen-owners Frank and Donna Caldwell wrote a book The Ebb and the Flood (1980) about our co-op and dedicated it to “a salty group of crusty pioneers, who courageously labored, profanely swore, reluctantly agreed and violently disagreed, who planned and sweated, often into the wee hours, all without adequate monetary compensation, just to keep afloat an organization of their peers,” which is our co-op.
Producer-owned cooperatives have been helping small-scale quality-focused farmers, coffee plantations, vineyards, and other food producers do what they do best--make quality food--without outside entities like distant investors more concerned with quick profits than quality. We're in it for the long haul, folks.
On the menu for our birthday celebration was our Marbled King Salmon and Halibut Olympia. These dishes were cooked and the party was hosted by our friends and partners Halibut Point Crab and Chowder in Sitka. During the meal our President Norm Pillen and CEO Ken Rehberger spoke of the history and importance of succeeding for 8 decades. Not many companies can mark this milestone. Norm, who has commercially fished for decades, shared an important quote from one of the co-op's early pioneers Toivo Anderson: "By gosh, I think th fishermen, after going through the years that I've fished, have seen the ups and downs, and the way we've struggled, and the way we've been at the mercy of the buyers. We've been beggars sometimes. Now if the younger generation can only see what we've seen and participate in this Co-op, really participate, and take pride in it, I feel that, by gosh, they have a wonderful future."
Our Plant Manager Ruben Torres got up to tout the work that takes place in our Sitka, Alaska processing plant. Ruben embodies the Seafood Producers Cooperative pride. 30 years ago, Ruben showed up at the doorsteps of our Sitka plant after sleeping in church for a few nights hoping to make it to the land of the “Deadliest Catch.” At our celebration Ruben got up and celebrated employees who have been with us for 20 years or more and it was an emotional occasion.
These processing employees are the engine behind the co-op. Because of the work they do, our fishermen can lead a unique lifestyle based on freedom to move around and catch fish.
Victoria Caalim, Sofio Caalim and Marvin Molina have worked for SPC 20 years and are currently in our Value-Added Department.
Zenaida Diaz has worked 21 years and currently works in our Processing Support Department.
Elma Bello has served the co-op for 23 years and is in our Packing Department.
Fernando Villanueva has been working for 23 years in our Engineering Department.
Abe Gomez-Hurtado has been working for SPC for 23 years in our Packing Department and you can hear Abe and Ruben talk about what’s special about working for SPC in this brief video that shows what it’s like to work in our Sitka, Alaska processing plant.
Francisco Torres Magana has worked 25 years in our Processing Department.
Teofilo Villanueva has worked 26 years in our Fresh Pack Department.
Brian Street has worked many of the positions in our Sitka plant and currently wears many hats to help our plant succeed. Though he was at the Sitka plant when Ruben arrived, he did take a few years off, but has worked with the co-op for 27 years and knows all the details of how our fishermen-owned co-op works.
These are the people behind your fish.We are proud to serve you our premium-quality seafood.
