News

Seafood veteran turns 40 years in the industry!

Published: 09/09/2024 Updated: 09/09/2024

 

In 1984, I entered the fishing world somewhat by accident and started in the then large company, Frionor. This was a world-leading company with 12 subsidiaries, 140-150 producers in Norway, with large production of fishing rods both in Alta and Trondheim, as well as production in France, Thailand and the USA! I realized early on that this was a great opportunity and I, who was supposed to stay there for one summer, stayed there for 10 years!

This became my school and my education - alongside a Diploma in Higher Marketing, - as it was called at the time. In Frionor, I had the pleasure of doing many different tasks and work at differnt departments, in fact as many as 10 jobs! Everything from finance, accounting, shipping, production planning, sales, etc. I was offered a position in the office in Switzerland, where I envisioned speeding down the mountain sides alongside becoming more internationalized and not least learning languages, but the choice fell on Ålesund. There awaited an exciting job as sales manager with sales from  7-8 factory ships in Sunnmøre Fiskeindustri. I stayed there for 2 years from 1994-1996.

In 1996 I became a partner with CORNIC SA in France and then started the company Seaco AS as general manager. Nordic Group was there for a short period, and we then took the name Nordic Seaco AS. Nordic Group was bought out after a short time, since they started competing operations in Ålesund. They shut down this business after a couple of years.

Since then, the years have flown by. We do not have any boats to sell for. We don't have quotas or a factory, but we have good experience and a large network both at home and abroad with whom we collaborate to this day. We have had the same philosophy throughout all these years - where we don't think about turnover, but the bottom line - and common sense about what we have to do. We have delivered solid figures every year and we have a very stable and skilled workforce who know what they are doing. We are like a family!

We see major challenges in whitefish going forward, with sharply reduced quotas and customers who are really struggling. Therefore, we have to make certain course changes. There are constantly new markets, new products and complex situations that one must deal with.

We are lucky to operate in such an exciting industry. It is rewarding to go to work every day!

Through 40 years in the industry, of which the last 28 years in Nordic Seaco, I am very grateful that I made this choice to enter the fishing industry in 1984. I would have done the same, all over again! We must be proud of what we do - and we must give our young people the opportunity to discover how exciting this industry is and ensure further recruitment, as we have done.

Although I have now reached a "certain age", both my form and motivation are still at their best! The 30th anniversary of Nordic Seaco is approaching, so I can probably hold out for another couple of years. At least :-)