Grand Bank Seafoods, a division of Clearwater Seafoods, is marking 25 years in Canada's clam industry with a CAD 350,000 (USD 265,681, EUR 236,752) investment in a 25-person prime cut line to support growth of the business in Europe and North America.
Grand Bank Seafoods is located in the town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, producing Arctic surf, northern propeller and cockle clams.
Clearwater acquired Grand Bank Seafoods' Arctic surf clam operation in 1991 and has invested heavily to develop the marketplace ever since.
In the last three years, Clearwater has invested CAD 2.2 million (USD 1.7 million, EUR 1.5 million) in the Grand Bank facility.
"The success of Clearwater's clam business over the past 25 years has laid the foundation for a prosperous future with Grand Bank Seafoods," said Ian Smith, CEO of Clearwater Seafoods. "Grand Bank will continue to play a key role in Clearwater leading and executing with excellence in today's global clam marketplace."
Clearwater has become a leader in the clam marketplace, particularly in Asia. It has grown its clam operation into a CAD 100 million (USD 75.9 million, EUR 67.6 million) yearly export business.
Looking toward the future, Clearwater said innovation would continue to play a key role in harvesting capabilities and clam product development, and also that there was growing demand for these clam species in high-value sushi and sashimi markets throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
"Clearwater's clam business is a model of innovation-led export success," Smith said. "Today's investment allows us to continue to diversify our markets to build the value of the product as we grow consumption of surf clam globally."
