Timeline

overview • our vision • our people • timeline

Mid 1980s: The Ocean Gold brand is conceived by Dennis Rydman while working as a crab fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico.

Late 1980s: Merino Seafoods launches in Westport, WA as a live crab outfit.

1994: Merino Seafoods converts live operation into processing facility.

1996: New Pacific Whiting processing capabilities and a dock expansion are developed.

1997: Merino Seafoods becomes Ocean Gold Seafoods.

2000: Ocean Gold Seafoods becomes one of the largest shoreside processors of pacific whiting on the west coast, averaging nearly 20 percent of the total landed catch.

2002: Research begins into adding sardines to the processing capabilities.

2003: Planning begins for fishmeal facility to handle growing volume and explore sustainable utilization of fish resources.

2005: The fishmeal plant, Ocean Protein, opens in Hoquiam.

2006: Ocean Gold Seafoods is one of a group to pioneer industry-sanctioned sardine stock assessments in partnership with government and regulatory agencies.

2007: Ground is broken on Ocean Cold.

2007: Department of Ecology makes a site visit to Ocean Protein and deems it to be using “best available” odor control technology.

2008: Additional investment in odor control made at Ocean Protein, totaling more than $5M

2008: Ribbon cutting ceremony for Ocean Cold, a 100k square foot cold storage facility

2008: Ocean Protein named local Business of the Year by Small Business Association of America.

2009: Ocean Companies receive MSC certification for all of its Pacific Whiting.

2009: New waste water treatment introduced for Ocean Companies making it the only seafood processor to meet the new source standards set by the Clean Water Act.

2009: Plans begin to bring trucking into the Ocean Companies.

2010: Ocean Express launches, with more than 10 trucks to move product up and down the coast.