Hixton, Wisconsin, U.S.A.-based salmon-farming firm Superior Fresh is set to conduct its first commercial harvest from its Albany, Indiana-based facility in early July.
Superior Fresh purchased the assets of the site from AquaBounty Technologies for USD 9.5 million (EUR 8.2 million) in the third quarter of 2024. Since then, it has made “substantial investments” to enhance the facility’s infrastructure and operating systems, Superior Fresh CEO and Co-Founder Brandon Gottsacker told SeafoodSource.
“As a result, we're seeing some of the strongest biological performance in our company's history. Our focus today is on optimizing performance, product quality, and consistency as we continue to grow the business,” Gottsacker said.
The 122,000-square-foot recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility will more than double Superior Fresh's annual Atlantic salmon production to meet growing consumer demand, the company said in a release.
Gottsacker said the company does not list production volume publicly, but he noted that output “continues to scale in line with consumer demand.”
Initial harvest volumes from the Albany facility will support new and existing retail and foodservice partners, according to the firm. Superior-produced salmon is already available in retail stores such as Wegman’s, The Fresh Market, Festival Foods, Mariano’s, Sendik’s, Busch’s, and Whole Foods.
“Our focus right now is simple: creating more access points for people to purchase the product they’ve been asking for,” Superior Fresh Chief Revenue Officer Nathan Hefti added. “Consumer preferences have clearly shifted toward cleaner, healthier protein, and demand for domestically raised seafood continues to grow.”
The early July harvest will take place eight years after the company conducted its first harvest in Wisconsin and 10 years after the founding of the company.
“Ten years ago, we set out to prove that world-class Atlantic salmon could be raised in the U.S.,” Gottsacker said. “The opening of Albany marks the next phase of that vision, expanding reliable domestic supply while continuing to deliver the quality, consistency, and nutritional value our customers expect.”
By producing salmon in the Midwest region of the U.S., Superior Fresh said it is able to shorten the supply chain for many end buyers while lowering the carbon footprint associated with air-freighting seafood from overseas.
