Doug Nucatola is one of the founders and CEO at Great Eastern Seafood, a Boston, Massachusetts-based seafood processor and distributor known for its production of North Atlantic groundfish and flatfish.
SeafoodSource: As one of the founders of Great Eastern Seafood, how have you seen the company evolve in its 35-year history?
Nucatola: We started as a quality and service company and we’ve always stayed with our founding principles. Over the years we’ve tried to be innovative and dynamic, whether it’s in the areas of equipment, technology or SQF. My role has been to keep the company on this course.
SeafoodSource: Great Eastern holds seats on three daily fish auctions in Gloucester and New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. Why is this important to your business and how has this part of the business changed?
Nucatola: Our goal is to source the best product and the best prices for our customers. Involvement in the auctions allows us to achieve that goal. Thirty-five years ago, we could source everything at our back door here in Boston, now we source from all over the world.
SeafoodSource: What do you consider to be your company’s greatest achievements thus far?
Nucatola: We’ve had several achievements. No. 1 is our steady, sustained growth without sacrificing quality or service. We’re also dynamic. We’ve always been responsive to changing customer needs and conditions. Another achievement is our innovation in technology and machinery. In technology, it’s software that allows us to now trace every single pound of fillets back to a specific boat. And the reports I get on yields help me make sure I’m giving customers the best pricing that I can. Innovations in equipment include a water chiller that maintains a 38-degree processing water temperature that increases shelf life. Our final achievement has been our lasting relationships with customers and suppliers that span decades.
SeafoodSource: What do you see as your biggest challenge these days?
Nucatola: The biggest challenge is to keep up with change; to be adaptable and stay ahead of the curve.
SeafoodSource: What impact do you see the Trump administration and its policies having on the seafood industry?
Nucatola: We always work with all of the regulatory agencies. I think it’s important to stay informed and to react quickly to any changes. We have to wait and see what happens.
SeafoodSource: If there were one thing you could change about the seafood industry, what would it be and why?
Nucatola: I would put a much bigger effort into education. For example, I’d emphasize the tremendous health benefits of seafood and the huge effort we put into food safety, how we ensure the safety and the quality of the seafood people eat.
SeafoodSource: Given the opportunity to address a room filled with other seafood industry leaders, what would be the one nugget of wisdom you would want them to take away from your remarks?
Nucatola: To maintain the long view, to preserve the future through sustainability and to maintain an innovative approach because the industry is always changing.
