Del Mar Seafoods, a vertically integrated seafood producer and processor based in Watsonville, California, is expanding its operations with a new facility lease and the addition of individual quick freezing (IQF) and processing capabilities.
The new facility, which is located on the same campus as Del Mar’s headquarters, increases the company’s Watsonville footprint by 40%, allowing for greater processing capacity and efficiency.
“This was the logical next step in our company’s growth,” said Joe Roggio, chief financial officer. “It will allow expansion our value-added product and service offerings.”
The facility will house the company’s new IQF system, which utilizes liquid nitrogen to rapidly freeze and preserve a number of seafood products, including Northern Anchovies and California Market Squid.
“We opted for a nitrogen-based IQF system, as it preserves product texture, taste and overall freshness better than traditional ammonia- or freon-based systems,” said CEO Joe Cappuccio. “With this system, we now have the fastest freezing capabilities in the industry.”
With the ability to freeze up to 20 tons of product per day, the system provides Del Mar Seafoods with enough capacity to meet the growing demand for its IQF seafood product range.
“This expansion is a true win for our community, our workforce, and our local businesses. Their growth brings not just jobs, but meaningful opportunities for local families to thrive, while also offering lifelong skills and learning experiences,” said Shaun Ortiz, branch manager of Balance Staffing, the labor agency partner of Del Mar Seafoods.
This investment comes as part of Del Mar’s broader growth strategy, which includes process automation, expanding product offerings and entering new geographical markets.
“Over the last three years, we have done a lot to modernize our operations,” said Carter Goetz, chief legal officer of Del Mar Seafoods. “From upgrades to our IT infrastructure, to investments, we are always striving to improve our capabilities so that we can continue to provide the best possible products and service for our global customer base.”
In addition to California Market Squid and Northern Anchovies, Del Mar offers a diverse range of products that include Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Haddock, imported cleaned calamari, and a line of cleaned calamari sourced from the US East Coast.
Founded in 1988, third generation family owned Del Mar Seafoods produces and supplies over 30 million pounds of frozen and fresh squid, anchovies and other wild-caught seafood products to a global customer base per annum.
