Kvarøy Arctic has named Chris Cumming – most recently senior sales manager at Pacifico Aquaculture – as its first U.S. vice president of sales.
After expanding its United States retail presence in 2020, the Indre Kvarøy, Norway-based farmed salmon producer said. Cumming will help grow its U.S. retail and foodservice sales. Cumming has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, including sales roles with Verlasso, Shamrock Foods, and Seattle Fish Company.
“We are incredibly excited to have Chris on board. His career is built with years of experience working with sustainable aquaculture companies and distributors,” Kvarøy Arctic CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen told SeafoodSource. “Hiring him as our vice president of sales is a major step in expanding our U.S. sales effort.”
Cumming’s “deep U.S. market experience will help us to attain the goals that we have in 2021 and beyond,” Knutsen said. “The network that he has developed aligns specifically with the efforts that we are making to have continued growth in foodservice and retail.”
In February, Kvarøy will launch an extensive distribution network for its retail frozen portion pack, hot dogs, burgers, and smoked salmon, Knutsen said.
“[Cumming] has the expertise to lead our sales team as we work to expand our footprint even further with these products and beyond,” Knutsen said.
Kvarøy launched new value-added products – including salmon hot dogs and salmon burgers – last summer and quickly garnered distribution of the products at Whole Foods Market and online sellers such as FultonFishMarket.com. And last fall Kvarøy, and Santa Barbara Smokehouse teamed up to produce a novel smoked salmon, currently sold at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide.
As a result, the company’s sales for the 2020 holiday season exceeded expectations, Knutsen said.
“Fresh and frozen sales were strong. In addition, we were especially excited about the response to the value-added products such as the nationally distributed smoked salmon program with Santa Barbara Smokehouse,” he said.
Kvarøy launched its U.S. brand just prior to the pandemic and, “despite the odds, continues to push the boundaries of sustainable aquaculture and what’s possible in the American fish and seafood market today,” Cumming said in a press release.
“They aren’t afraid to think way outside the box or to be the first to try new technologies, or implement new farming practices if they feel there is a chance it will improve ocean health and animal welfare,” Cumming said. “They are a true leader in the space and it will be incredibly rewarding to be part of the team that will keep changing the perception of farmed fish to be positive and more widely accepted by consumers.”
Photo courtesy of Kvarøy Arctic
