Massachusetts-based seafood supplier East Coast Seafood Group has hired former Inland Seafood executive Steve Musser to join its management team as the new vice president of sales, the company announced late last month.
In his new role with East Coast, Musser – who spent almost 10 years with Inland Seafood, most recently as its executive vice president of sales and marketing – will play a critical part in driving the company’s global commerce strategy, guiding both the domestic and international sales teams in maximizing current distribution channels and diversifying into the branded consumer market, East Coast said in a new release on Musser’s hire.
With his experience managing accounts in both the foodservice and retail realms, as well as his proclivity for product innovation, Musser is an ideal fit for East Coast, according to the company’s CEO and President Chris Maze.
“Steve Musser is a perfect complement to our exceptional sales team currently serving North America, Europe and Asia,” Maze said. “He brings a deep wealth of knowledge on many facets of the seafood industry and strong experience in consumer food goods throughout multiple sales channels, including ecommerce. We’ve found a dynamic sales leader in Steve and I’m confident in the next chapter of our legacy for outstanding quality in products and service.”
East Coast is credited as the world’s largest distributor of live and frozen North American lobster; the company is also a major distributor of scallops and fish. After 35 years of expansion and growth, the company decided to draft retail diversification plans with financial investments by Forum Capital, as well as make several food veteran additions to its team, Musser being the most recent.
“I’ve been very lucky to spend my career in the food business and specifically the last 10 years [in] seafood – where I really fell in love with the industry,” Musser said. “It has truly been an incredible journey filled with amazing people and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world. As fate would have it, the right set of circumstances presented themselves and I’m just really looking forward to the next phase of my career. Seafood has an incredible story and with the vertical integration offered by East Coast, there are some unique development opportunities on many levels. With their outstanding reputation in the marketplace and innovation plan, we have the ability to evolve historical commodities into some of the world’s best snacks, appetizers, and entrees. It is a chance to do something extraordinary for all layers of the supply chain and ultimately the end consumer.”
