Regal Springs Trading Co. on Wednesday announced that President Mike Picchietti is retiring.
Picchietti helped start Regal Springs in the early 1990s and was the early pioneering face for tilapia in North America. He built the exclusive sales and marketing arm for the Regal Springs Tilapia Group, which first encompassed the Indonesian and subsequent Honduran production companies P.T. Aquafarms Nusantara and Aquafina St. Peters Fish S.A.
Picchietti plans to continue operating his personal tilapia hatchery through his company Aquasafra, which has become a key supplier of tilapia fingerlings for North American farmers. He is also looking to use his hatchery in Florida to train and assist missionaries and NGOs engaged in feeding the poor in developing countries.
Regal Springs CEO Francisco Murillo, a 13-year industry veteran who has been with the company for two-and-a-half years, will take over Picchietti’s responsibilities. Murillo has been overseeing production operations in Honduras and Mexico and the sales and marketing organization in the United States.
“I will focus on projects, species and markets that Regal Springs is not or has been involved. The numbers are huge, aquaculture has to grow to provide the volume and quality of seafood necessary for a hungry planet,” said Picchietti.
Picchietti will be at the International Boston Seafood Show Sunday 21 March through Tuesday 23 March to meet with customers.
