Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 9 million worth of wholesale lobster to Canada for processing. Processing lobster locally increases profit margins for Maine wholesalers like Ready Seafood and also allows them more control over quality. Ready Seafood's new lobster process- ing plant brings 200 full-time employees to the area and will create about 50 new full-time positions. Using an automated production process and high-pressure processing technology, the new 40-acre lobster processing facility can process 100,000 pounds of lobster each day. "We are seeing a surge in economic development and business expansion in the area as a result," said Denise M. Clavette, Planning and Development Director for the city of Saco. "We believe Ready Seafood played a huge role in jump-starting the momentum along the Route 1 corridor in Saco." In addition to lobster processing, Ready Seafood is collaborating with the University of Maine, Southern Maine Community College and St. Joseph's College on studying lobsters and sustainability of the lobster indus- try for Ready Seafood and the Maine lobster industry at large. "We are the largest live and processed lobster wholesaler in the country, but we are always focused on improving our understanding of our resource and educating the next generation of scientists and stewards of the sea," says Curt Brown, Ready Seafood's marine biologist. Luke's Lobster expands into processing Luke's Lobster opened its lobster pro- duction facility in Saco in 2012 in an effort to create sustainable, long-term growth for its restaurant business. With its own lobster processing plant, found- ers Luke Holden and Ben Conniff wanted to gain more control over the quality, price and consistency of the lobsters in its 29 restaurants. "We needed to be heavily invested in the source in order to have sustainable long-term growth," says Holden. "Being from a third generation fishing family and having a father who was issued the very first lobster processing license in the state of Maine, the lobster production industry was very familiar to me." Luke's Lobster's 45,000-square- foot production facility's average daily volume is approximately 40,000 pounds of live lobster. It is the only Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable and Safe Quality Food Level 3-certified seafood company in North America. e site does both primary and secondary processing, which includes branded lobster and crab meal preparation kits for Whole Foods and other retailers. Luke's also has its own fabrication facility on its campus, which allows the company to build and engineer all of its stainless steel production equipment onsite, from conveyors to graders and tables. Holden reports that he and co- founder Conniff have been able to grow the production business as the Luke's Lobster restaurant business has grown. Having a foot in both businesses has helped the company remain stable through the ebbs and flows of com- modity prices over the last seven years. Today, half of Luke's Lobster's sales are to third-party partners. In 2008, Luke's Lobster won the Global Supplier of the Year Award from Whole Foods. Luke's Lobster also supplies Whole Foods stores in England and Canada. "We're very proud to be a Maine busi- ness that has more than 250 employees in Maine and we're dedicated to selling the Maine brand," said Holden. ough not directly and immediately impacted by the trade agreement and Chinese tariffs in the way that other lob- ster companies may be, Holden says over time, both could affect Luke's Lobster. "It hasn't affected us directly because we aren't in the business of live lobsters," says Holden. "But over time, as an indus- try, we are transferring a lot of the value that this state and country has created to the Canadians. Over a long period of time, that'll start to have an effect on our business in some shape or other because it'll make Canadians stronger buyers and resellers of lobster products instead of Maine or U.S. citizens. And that's when I think it will start to affect us more significantly." Catherine Berce, a Mainebiz correspondent, can be reached at editorial @ mainebiz.biz We are seeing a surge in economic development and business expansion in the area as a result. We believe Ready Seafood played a huge role in jump starting the momentum along the Route 1 corridor in Saco. — Denise M. Clavette city of Saco Daily Airport Transfers TSA certified drivers 53' Van Trailers: Single & Team Trade Show Loads Flat Beds Special Equipment/ Handling: Lift Gate Trailers, Pads, Blankets, straps, & Bars Expedited Ground Cargo Vans & Straight Trucks Next Day Airfreight 2nd Day Air & Ground Next Flight Out Date & Time Specific pickup &/or deliveries AOG/ Aircraft Parts Medical Distributions/ Reverse Logistics Installations Military Bases Your On Demand Logistics Services Provider www.shippei.com • 207-513-2819 BBrown@shippei.com Providing Domestic SOLUTIONS to the International Supply Chain TRUCKLOADS EXPEDITED CRITICAL

• Cover