One of the tenants of the Galesburg Sustainable Business Center is expanding, and creating jobs.
Sitka Salmon Shares Founder Nic Mink said they’re putting in two additional chest freezers. They also hired extra summer staff and a part-time sales person.
They're supporting fisherman that are implementing smart harvest practices that are not ecologically destructive
The company contracts with Alaskan fishermen to sell shares of their catch directly to customers in the Midwest.
Mink said they sold around six hundred shares this year, and he says a lot of that is thanks to word of mouth.
"People have a piece of our fish and they just taste everything that they want to taste in a quality product. And so I think that's really like I said is what's driving the demand," Mink said.
He went on to say that it not just the taste or quality of fish that makes many customers come back year after year.
"They know they're supporting fisherman that are implementing smart harvest practices that are not ecologically destructive," he said.
Mink said Sitka's goal is to sell between 8-hundred and a thousand shares next year. He said to meet that goal they plan on hiring one or two fulltime managers in the near future to accomplish that.
He also plans to expand sales to co-ops and health food stores, and develop some lower cost shares.
Mink said they have a very high retention rate and they are developing shares that include different types of salmon, and have a lower price. He said if they can start a relationship with new customers with these shares, he's confident they will stay members for several fishing seasons.
