Portland, Maine U.S.A.-based company Bristol Seafood has been named the "2016 Vendor of the Year" by Santa Monica Seafood, which supplies seafood to Albertsons/Vons and a number of other U.S. West Coast companies.
According to Santa Monica Seafood CEO Roger O’Brien, Bristol has come to epitomize what a quality vendor should be.
“We chose Bristol Seafood as our Vendor of the Year because they epitomize a great vendor partner,” O’Brien said in a news release.“They have a very high fulfillment rate, little to no quality issues, and they are great at not only providing us market data, but also presenting us several options before we make a strategic purchase.”
The relationship between Santa Monica Seafood and Bristol Seafood has been especially fruitful, O’ Brien said, resulting in the former increasing purchases from Bristol by 26 percent in 2016.
“We like to reward vendors who service us as well as Bristol Seafood has with more business,” O’Brien explained.
Bristol, which was founded in 1992, reported record sales for the second consecutive year in 2016, shipping out more than six million pounds of seafood from its facility on the Portland, Maine fish pier.
"We are honored to be recognized by an industry leader in traceable and sustainable seafood, and are excited to share our commitment to quality with the West Coast,” added Peter Handy, CEO and President of Bristol Seafood.
Bristol Seafood has taken steps in 2016 and 2017 to establish its presence on the opposite side of the country. Bristol’s latest hire, Ted McDermott, will be based on the West Coast, and serve as the regional sales manager for the company’s new branch. McDermott most recently worked at E&E Foods, a Seattle-based seafood processor and wholesaler, where he served as a fresh and frozen sales representative.
"Ted is an excellent addition to our team on the West Coast and brings the knowledge and integrity that make Bristol a truly special company," said Jimmy Davolio, Vice President of Sales at Bristol Seafood. McDermott, a Colby College graduate and experienced fly fishing guide, will cover the West Coast from his offices in Seattle, Washington.
McDermott said Bristol’s commitment to quality and transparency attracted him to the company.
"They have a vision of transparency and quality for seafood that I really wanted to be a part of," he said.
