Report covers seafood processing, distribution

Research and Markets has added the Seafood Processing and Distribution report to its offerings.

The US seafood processing and distribution industry consists of about 650 processors with annual revenue of about $9 billion and about 2,500 distributors with annual revenue of about $12 billion. Many companies are involved in both industry segments. Major companies include Bumble Bee Foods, Red Chamber, Trident Seafoods, and the US division of Japan’s Maruha Nichiro Holdings. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest processors account for about 45% of segment revenue and the 50 largest distributors account for about one-third of segment revenue.

This industry includes the processing and wholesaling of both wild-caught and farm-raised seafood. Commercial fishing and aquaculture (fish farming) are covered in separate industry profiles.

Demand is driven by trends in fish consumption. Profitability of individual companies depends on operational efficiencies. Large companies often enjoy advantages of vertical integration and have economies of scale in purchasing and marketing. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in niche markets. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is $225,000 for a typical processing facility and $500,000 for a typical seafood wholesaler.

Major products include frozen fish (30% of processing revenue); frozen shellfish (20%); fresh fish and shellfish (15%); and canned seafood (15%).

For more information, visit www.researchandmarkets.com/research/920aa7/seafood_processing.