Clackamas, Oregon, U.S.A.-headquartered supplier Pacific Seafood is one of a few companies with critical infrastructure being called upon to help maintain protein supply in the United States amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to Pacific Seafood President and CEO Frank Dulcich.
The family-owned and operated business is up to the task, Dulcich added.
“Through conversations with our retail customers we know they are experiencing challenges keeping enough proteins on shelves, and filling the demand for more ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products amid restaurant closures,” Dulcich said in a statement shared with SeafoodSource on 20 March.
Dulcich said the company has accelerated its production output and is tapping into its frozen inventory to accommodate retail demand.
“Due to our vertically integrated supply chain and geographically dispersed locations, we are in a unique position to solve this critical need. We have already begun flexing our production capabilities, leveraging our availability of frozen inventory, and relying on the strength of our logistics operations and innovative packaging capabilities to rapidly meet customer needs in this unprecedented time,” he said.
Pacific Seafood intends to continue with its operations, uninterrupted, to meet the needs of the nation during the pandemic, Dulcich said.
“Pacific Seafood recognizes our unique responsibility to support our nation’s response to COVID-19 by continuing operations without interruptions to maintain our critical food supply. We also stand with our customers and are supporting them by using our distribution network to ensure the delivery of essential products. I also want to thank each and every one of our team members for their continued commitment during this difficult time,” Dulcich concluded in his statement.
Founded in 1941, Pacific Seafood employs more than 3,000 workers across 41 facilities in 11 states.
