Seattle Fish Company & Gourmet Provisions is excited to announce that Chris Franklin has been hired as the company’s new Director of Operations! Chris joined the Seattle Fish team in August 2022, working to ensure that the logistics of our operations run as smooth and efficiently as possible.
Chris was born and raised in Pheonix, Arizona and went to school in upstate New York, where he met his wife. They enjoy moving around the US and have spent time living in Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, Michigan and Austin, but have now found their home in Denver. Chris has three kids and two dogs, and his family is involved with the Ho-Bo Boxer rescue.
In Chris’s words, his career has always been built around food and people. He spent 15 years with Trader Joe’s followed by a few startup companies. He’s excited to work with Seattle Fish Co., because it “feels like a perfect blend of [being] an established company with the opportunity to be creative and scrappy like a startup.”
In his role as Director of Operations, Chris works closely with the managers and supervisors in many departments, including transportation, production, receiving, quality assurance, food safety and facilities. His team handles all of the details and logistics from the moment that product enters our doors until they get delivered to our customer’s doors.
In his first few months in the role, Chris has been leading a project to set up our warehouse in a more organized and efficient way. “I am confident it will make it easier for the team to do their jobs,” says Chris, “Which means improved accuracy and quality for our customers. I’m also very passionate about training and development, and that will be a big focus of my future efforts”.
Get to know Chris Franklin better by reading his Q&A below!
What were you the most excited about joining the Seattle Fish team?
I was a customer years ago and always respected Seattle Fish’s commitment to the customer and to quality, so when the opportunity arose, I was certainly intrigued. But ultimately it was the chance to come around and meet the team that solidified my desire to transition to the seafood industry. There are such great people here, and I’m excited about our future growth.
What are your favorite ways to unwind outside of work?
I generally love anything outside, so I wish I had moved to Colorado sooner! I love hiking, traveling, camping, and running (although I’ve got to get that going again!). I also have three kids and absolutely love watching them play sports and occasionally having the chance to coach them. I love coaching youth sports!
What’s your favorite seafood? How do you like to prepare it?
I’m partial to lobster, even though to be honest I don’t eat it as much as I’d like to. I think it’s the emotional connection. My wife and I got married in Kennebunkport, Maine, and needless to say lobster in every form was a key part of our overall wedding experience. I’ll always feel a connection to the coastal fishing villages of Maine, and lobster boats specifically.
