American Seafoods Co. (ASC) on Tuesday announced that Rick Muir, the Seattle company's VP of sales, passed away on 6 April following a recent cancer diagnosis.
Muir was the first sales executive hired by the company in July 1989. He is credited with creating the vision, structure and leadership for the ASC sales force.
With more than 30 years of seafood industry experience, Muir joined Pacific Seafood of Clackamas. Ore., as a plant manager and then as head of operations after a stint in the U.S. Army. Next, he joined Peter Pan Seafood as national sales manager.
For ASC, Muir forged sales channels and opened markets for the company's products and developed key industry alliances. He played a central role in the development of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, a nonprofit formed in 2003 to promote domestic pollock, and was an active member of the National Fisheries Institute as well as other industry groups.
"Rick's contributions and influence in our business are beyond measure,” said ASC CEO Bernt Bodal. "He was a first-class individual and a trusted, valued friend.”
April 6, 2009
