Watsonville, California, U.S.A.-based Del Mar Seafoods has expanded its operations with the lease of a new facility.
Founded in 1988, Del Mar Seafoods is a vertically integrated seafood producer and processor in California that produces and supplies over 30 million pounds of squid, anchovies, and other wild-caught species per year. The company was a part of collaboration to obtain Marine Stewardship Council certification for the California squid fishery, which was ultimately granted in 2023.
In a release, the company said the new facility – which is located alongside the existing Del Mar Seafoods campus – will increase the firm's footprint by 40 percent and allow for greater processing capacity and higher efficiency.
The new facility will add Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) and additional processing facilities to Del Mar’s existing offerings, allowing the company to offer IQF northern anchovies and IQF California market squid.
Del Mar Seafoods CEO Joe Cappuccio said the company chose the new IQF line with product quality in mind and opted for a nitrogen-based system that will preserve texture, taste, and freshness at a high level.
“With this system, we now have the fastest freezing capabilities in the industry,” Cappuccio said.
The company added that the new system will be capable of freezing up to 20 metric tons of IQF products per day.
The facility expansion adds to prior upgrades, like a recent one to Del Mar Seafoods’ IT infrastructure, that will help improve its capabilities. The company added the new expansion is part of a broader growth strategy, which will increase its processing automation and expand its product offerings, helping it target new geographical markets for its products.
"Over the last three years, we have done a lot to modernize our operations,” Del Mar Seafoods Chief Legal Officer Carter Goetz said.
In addition to expanding markets, the company said the new facility will also have benefits for the local community, with added jobs and opportunities for the region.
“This was the logical next step in our company’s growth,” Del Mar Seafoods CFO Joe Roggio said. “This new facility provides us with additional processing capacity and will allow us to expand our value-added product and service offerings.”
