Eric Lam is vice president of Tai Foong USA in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The company is an importer and distributor of seafood in North America and operates the Northern Chef and Royal Asia brands.
SeafoodSource: How did you make the transition from working in finance to going back to the family-owned business, and what lessons learned from your previous job do you apply to your current one?
Lam: My grandfather started in the seafood business in Hong Kong and his legacy was later carried on by my father, Davy Lam – first in Toronto and then moving to Seattle in 1991. My father has always been an innovative thinker, from being one of the first to source farmed shrimp to developing a line of sustainable seafood products and diverse value-added products.
In the back of my mind, I always knew I wanted to return and build upon his legacy. Through my career in finance, I have the analytical tools that can be applied in any business. While living in Hong Kong, I also launched a restaurant group that is now managing three restaurant and bar locations. Food has always been a passion of mine, and our goal is to make quality, sustainable, and culture-enriching seafood and other food available to our customers.
SeafoodSource: What does your job entail?
Lam: As an SOO [son-of-owner] of a family business, I have my hands in many pots. I manage key customer accounts, the sales team, purchasing decisions, production and inventory control. I get to make sales pitches to customers while also working closely with R&D for product development.
SeafoodSource: What do you feel is your responsibility as the next generation in the family business?
Lam: My and my brother’s responsibility as the next generation is to carry on the legacy from our father and grandfather. The world is continuously evolving, especially in the world of seafood. We want to continue our company’s emphasis on quality, sustainability, and innovation.
SeafoodSource: When you get together with others in the seafood food industry today, what's the biggest topic of discussion?
Lam: Tariffs and how tariffs may impact each other’s businesses. As part of this year’s NFI Future Leaders class, I had the opportunity to meet so many of my peers throughout the industry. Learning from each other’s experiences was invaluable because of my relative newness to the industry.
SeafoodSource: What is the change we're most likely to see in the seafood industry in the next five to 10 years?
Lam: Everyone knows that eating more seafood is better for your health, so I’m sure we will see more innovation to increase consumption and access to seafood.
SeafoodSource: What are three tips you would offer to someone who wanted to enter the seafood industry?
Lam: Have an appetite to learn new things. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty; nothing beats hands on experience. You get what you pay for, be careful sacrificing quality for price.
SeafoodSource: When you aren't working, how do you like to spend your time?
Lam: Traveling, hiking, eating new foods and spending time with my family and my 15-month-old son.
Photo courtesy of Eric Lam
