Fa’afoi Palepua has been named the new general manager of Samoa Tuna Processors, replacing Herman Gebauer, who is retiring.
Palepua will oversee administrative and day-to-day operations at Samoa Tuna Processors’ new facility in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The USD 70 million (EUR 62 million) facility opened in May 2015 and processes shelf-stable and frozen tuna products distributed in the United States by The Tuna Store. Both Samoa Tuna Processors and The Tuna Store are subsidiaries of Tri Marine.
Palepua has more than 30 years of canned and pouch tuna experience and joined Samoa Tuna Processors in October 2015 after working as deputy general manager at StarKist Samoa cannery, according to the Samoa News. He will report to Samoa Tuna Processors CEO Don Binotto.
Gebauer, who helped oversee the construction and launch of the new facility in American Samoa, will remain with Samoa Tuna Processors as an operational consultant through April.
