Cape May, New Jersey, U.S.A.-based scallop firm Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc., has appointed its longtime employee, Jeffrey Bolton, as its new chief executive officer.
Bolton, 57, has served as COO of the processing, sales, and marketing subsidiary of the company since 2003 and has worked in the seafood industry for 37 years.
Atlantic Capes’ primary product is scallops, though it also harvests, processes, and markets surf clams, lobster, crawfish, catfish, and other Mid-Atlantic species for retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators in the North American market. It has its own fleet of 17 sea scallop vessels and has sourcing agreements with an additional 50 independent boats, giving it an estimated 22 percent of all U.S. sea scallop landings. The company also owns Galilean Seafoods, a surf clam plant in Bristol, Rhode Island that produces Marine Stewardship Council-certified clams shucked by hand.
Daniel Cohen, the founder of Atlantic Capes, is stepping down as CEO but will continue to play an active role in the company as chairman of its board of directors. In a press release, he said he “will oversee the expansion of the board and its advisors to expand the diversity of advisors available to assist the new CEO.”
“Jeff joined us in 2003, and very simply, he has been a transformational figure here. Every step of the way, he led the growth and evolution of ACF from seasonal harvester of commodity shellfish to a world-class food company – a year-round supplier of finished products sold to multiple end-user channels,” Cohen said. “His execution made it possible for us to increase sales many times over and to create an organization that provides a gainful living to many hundreds of people. I am confident in Jeff’s abilities and excited for the future of the company under his full leadership.”
As the new CEO, Bolton will have direct management responsibility for all the company’s operating units worldwide, including its expansion investment and new business development activities, Cohen said in the release.
“I am inspired and honored to take on this larger role as CEO of the company and look forward to continuing Dan Cohen’s vision of being a leader in a sustainably managing our nation’s marine resources while having fun growing ACF’s business,” Bolton said.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Bolton/LinkedIn
