BELLINGHAM, WA – Trans-Ocean Products, Inc., the country's leading producer of surimi seafoods for the retail food market, announces that Advantage Sales & Marketing, Inc. of Pleasanton, CA is the company's 2013 Broker of the Year award winner.
Sam Monteith, Manager of Frozen & Perishables at Advantage, was recognized along with Business Development Specialist Karen Papagni and the Advantage retail team for delivering increased volume and gaining new distribution for Trans-Ocean's market leading Crab Classic brand at key accounts in the California region.
"Sam Monteith and the team at Advantage made a significant contribution to the success of our Crab Classic brand in 2013," said Lou Shaheen, Trans-Ocean's Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "Sam successfully demonstrated to his accounts that Crab Classic is a driver of total surimi seafood category sales and volume is up significantly in the California markets Advantage covers as a result."
According to the most recent IRI figures for California market areas, Crab Classic dollar volume is up over +50% and total category sales have increased +4.4%. Additionally, Crab Classic, the #1 brand in the surimi seafood category, has seen its national market share increase from 31.6% to 35.4% (Source: IRI 13 wks. ending 12/29/13). New distribution at key accounts is the primary reason for this increase in market share.
Trans-Ocean Products, Inc., founded in 1985, is one of the country's largest processors of surimi seafoods sold under the Crab Classic brand name and also as private labels. The vertically integrated company is a United States subsidiary of Maruha-Nichiro which owns three surimi block plants in Alaska and two floating processor ships in addition to a surimi seafood processing facility in Bellingham, WA.
For more information, please contact Trans-Ocean Products, Inc. at 350 West Orchard Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225, call (800) 290-2722 or visit www.trans-ocean.com.
Source: Trans-Ocean Products, Inc.