Thank you to Denver’s Channel 9 News and CO + Company Team for coming to Seattle Fish Co. this past Monday for a “Fishmonger of the Day” experience! Check out the video below to see Dani and Derek discuss the health benefits of seafood, responsible sourcing, and Seattle Fish Co.’s history. They also shuck oysters and filet a fish live!
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”.
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.
DENVER, CO, NOVEMBER 1, 2022 –– Founders’ Armand Agra acquires Colorado-family owned Lombardi Brothers Meats as a close sister company of Seattle Fish Company.
Lombardi Brothers Meats is a family-owned specialty meat processor and distributor based in Denver, Colorado. Lombardi Brothers Meats has served the Rocky Mountain region since 1947, distributing the finest cuts of top-quality Beef, Pork, Lamb, and other proteins to tables throughout the Colorado front range and local mountain communities. The company also operates The Ranch, a retail meat shop established in 2020. The company today is led by owners Victoria and Vance Philips, who will work in partnership with Seattle Fish Company to continue providing exceptional service to its customers in Colorado. Seattle Fish Company is excited to partner with the team at Lombardi Brothers Meats to support the company in its long-term growth and development.
Under this new ownership, Lombardi will continue to operate as an independent brand but will now partner with Seattle Fish Company to grow customer relationships, invest in the business, and promote high quality Lombardi brand meats throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. This partnership gives Lombardi access to increased geography, additional customers, more opportunity to grow our brand, and new ways to offer our products to new markets.
“Armand Agra’s investment in Lombardi Brothers Meats will allow us to expand our offerings, grow our influence in sustainability and industry leadership across a larger platform and lead a positive impact on a greater range of proteins,” shares Seattle Fish Co. President and CEO, Derek Figueroa. “We’re proud to say that our mission is to sustainably feed people, and now we can do so from the land and sea.”
Since 2015, Seattle Fish Co. has expanded their Gourmet Provisions portfolio to include terrestrial proteins such as chicken and game meats, gourmet sauces, sausages/deli meats, beverages and much more. Their proven success beyond fresh and frozen seafood makes them uniquely poised to partner with Lombardi Brothers Meats, known for its generous marbling and legendary flavor that has become a symbol for consistent quality across Colorado.
“Since 1947, Lombardi Brothers Meats has built strong partnerships based on exceptional customer service, top quality product, and pride in our work,” says Lombardi owner Victoria Philips. “The investment by Armand Agra, a third-generation family-owned business with deep experience in meat, preserves the rich legacy of Lombardi Brothers Meats while providing the resources, collaboration, and scale to grow our brand.”
Under the wing of Armand Agra and Seattle Fish Co., Lombardi Brothers Meats will not only have opportunities for brandwide growth, but access to increased geography, new markets, and additional customers to continue their four generations of family-owned legacy.
About Seattle Fish Co.
Seattle Fish Company is a third-generation family-owned company and Colorado-based business, proudly serving the Rocky Mountain region and surrounding states for over a century. Recognized for playing a major role in making fresh seafood available in the Rocky Mountain region, Seattle Fish Company sources and distributes sustainable seafood and gourmet provisions daily from around the world, providing products of the highest quality to over 1,400 restaurants and retailers. Seattle Fish Co. is dedicated to fostering sustainable fishing practices, including supporting local aquaculture farms, as well as fishery improvement projects around the world, ensuring that seafood as a healthful protein is available for all, for generations to come. For more information, please visit Seattle Fish Company’s website at www.seattlefish.com
About Lombardi Brothers Meats
Lombardi Brothers Meats has served the Rocky Mountain region since 1947, distributing the finest cuts of high-quality Beef, Pork, Lamb, and other proteins to tables throughout the Colorado front range and local mountain communities. The company also operates The Ranch, a retail meat shop established in 2020. The company today is led by owners Victoria and Vance Philips, who will work in partnership with Armand Agra and Seattle Fish Company to continue providing exceptional service to its customers in Colorado. For more information, please visit The Lombardi Brothers Meats website at www.lombardibrothersmeats.com.
About Founders’ Armand Agra
Founders Group of Food Companies is a family-owned company funded by the Senft and Harris families since 2014 which invests its own capital and applies operating know-how, to build a group of closely related, thriving food businesses and exceptional partnerships we can all be proud of. Tricor Pacific Capital is the family office of the Senft family. Saville House Holdings is the family company of Richard & Ailsa Harris. Flocchini Family Holdings is the Flocchini family office led by Armando & Chris Flocchini.
Damian Tamayo joined the Seattle Fish team in September 2018. In his role as receiving supervisor, he leads the receiving team, managing a team of 10 people, and is responsible for supervising checking in all products that come through our doors at Seattle Fish Company!
It goes without saying that receiving is an extremely important job at Seattle Fish. Between seafood, terrestrial proteins, and gourmet products, we have thousands of products being delivered to our warehouse 7 days a week. The receiving team is responsible for ensuring that these products are checked in correctly, that we’re getting what we ordered, and that the product is being checked immediately upon arrival for quality according to our company’s high standards.
Damian grew up in Alburquerque, New Mexico. Before working at Seattle Fish, he worked for Comcast as a Technician. When starting his role at Seattle Fish, he was most excited about getting the opportunity to work in a supervisor role, which is something he hadn’t done before. Though it is a challenging role, he enjoys working with the team he manages and all of Seattle Fish employees.
His most memorable project in his role thus far was reorganizing the freezer with all of the other supervisors and employees. It was a huge project that required a lot of organization and time management (not to mention the obvious challenge of working in a freezer – it was freezing!), but Damian enjoyed seeing everyone work together toward a common goal.
What are your favorite ways to unwind outside of work?
My favorite thing to do after work is going outdoors, either hiking or going camping. One thing I want to try is mountain biking. I feel like that would be a good adrenaline rush!
You know we have to ask… What’s your favorite seafood? How do you like to prepare it?
My favorite seafood dish would probably be octopus ceviche, because you can make this on the beach! You don’t need any fire, just a knife and cutting board and you can’t forget the Modelo!
“Devoted to sustainable and responsible sourcing, 24/7 handling and beyond, Derek Figueroa heads up Seattle Fish Co., one of the world’s leading suppliers of fresh fish and seafood based right here. On a busy day, this 104-year-old company will receive, butcher, pack and ship over 85,000 pounds of product and stock over 200 varieties of seafood. From luxury hotels to caterers to grocers to first-class restaurants throughout Denver, the Rocky Mountain area and culinary destinations around the globe, Seattle Fish Co. is our little (big) secret that we thought you should get to know. It was an absolute honor to interview this notable man on a mission.”
Read the full article here.