“Back in the day, he was a competitor. We competed for fish.”
That’s how Alaskan Leader Value Added Division President Keith Singleton described Ivan Svasand, the company’s new value-added R&D project manager.
“I haven’t been this excited to work with a group of people in a long time,” Svasand told National Fisherman. “There are so many opportunities [for] growth here, and they’re already expanding more than they expected. I see what I can bring to the table to expand it even more. And they’re trusting my experience and background.”
Svasand, 58, has been in the industry since he started fishing with his dad at the age of 10. He broke his back in a skiing accident at 22, which “got me out of fishing and got me into logistics, marketing, and sales,” Svasand said. “And that really started my career.”
Now almost 50 years later, he’s bringing those chops to Edmonds, Washington, U.S.A.-based Alaskan Leader Seafoods.
“Ivan Svasand knows fish, knows boats, knows processing,” Alaskan Leader Vice President for Value-Added Sales Scott Sandvig said. “It helps us stay focused, knowing we have the right guy in place. He’s a great addition to the team. And we’re thrilled to have him launching into 2022.”
And launching they are. Alaskan Leader will debut five products to the global market, including two that have not been seen before, at Seafood Expo North America, taking place 13 to 15 March, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Two of those products took awards in the Seattle round of the Alaska Symphony of Seafood, announced at Pacific Marine Expo — the Seattle People’s Choice award for Alaskan Leader’s Wild Caught Alaska Black Cod and the Bristol Bay Choice award for Wild Caught Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon.
Now the Alaskan Leader team is getting ready to head east, where those products and all other symphony winners will enter the Seafood Expo North Atlantic New Product Showcase.
“We’re going!” said Singleton said of Seafood Expo North America. “And we’re going to meet all the protocols that Diversified Communications has prepared for us.”
Those precautions, he said, are working in other places.
“[Diversified Communications] did a great job at Pacific Marine Expo,” Singleton told National Fisherman. “I don’t think there’s a fisherman out there who said: ‘Oh, I wish I didn’t go!’”
Diversified Communications runs both Seafood Expo North Atlantic and Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, which took place in November 2021 after a 2020 hiatus.
“We expect to have a full team in place in Boston,” Singleton said. “We feel the rules are in place for a reason, and we’re going to adhere to them so we can have a successful show.”
The market opportunities offered in one location at the seafood expo are a draw for any company on the move, but the pump is primed after a two-year hiatus and many eager to get back to some of the more traditional streams of business, he said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing our customers and debuting our new products,” Sandvig said. “Buyers don’t want to miss out on new opportunities. These are the types of events and catapult us to the next level.”
The trade show floor in Boston can open the door for start-ups and established companies like that managed to capitalize on market shifts over the last two years and are well-positioned for growth, according to Singleton.
“2021 was a great year for us with e-commerce and expansion into retail and club stores.” He said. “The demand is there, and we have the capacity. And that’s why we brought in a legendary fish guy with Ivan.”
In 2022, Alaskan Leader is looking to its reach and its product line.
“Hook and line primarily is our premier whitefish brand – cod, halibut, and black cod,” said Singleton, noting that the company is also sourcing Alaska salmon.
We put the engine together, and we needed a good racecar driver,” Singleton said. “We need guys that know fish. As we expand into more gear types and deeper into Alaska’s fleets, Ivan’s the best fish guy we could ever ask for.”
Reporting by Jes Hathaway
Photo courtesy of Alaskan Leader Seafoods
