The frozen food industry is a tough business that relies on tight planning and logistics, but today’s guest has created a finely-tuned operation by taking advantage of tech innovations.
On this episode, we’re sitting down with Sean O’Scannlain, who founded Fortune International in 2001. Since then, the company has grown both organically and through numerous acquisitions into one of the country’s leading processors, distributors, and importers of quality seafood, meats and gourmet products.
Today, Fortune International employees over 1,300 people and is the parent company of Fortune Fish and Gourmet Fortune Imports, Chef Martin, Coastal Seafood, D’Artagnan and Lobster Gram. The company handles more than 10,000 seafood and gourmet products daily throughout the central, southeastern and northeastern United States.
It’s no surprise that Sean is well respected in the seafood industry. Among many leadership positions, he’s a past chairman of the National Fisheries Institute, and he’s a founding member of SeaPak group of seafood companies dedicated to driving continuous improvement of social, economic, and environmental responsibility throughout the global seafood chain.
Highlights:
- Sean describes Fortune International’s reach and background (2:44)
- How Sean started the business (3:35)
- How Fortune finds its customers (6:40)
- Industry changes, and new tech (8:43)
- How seafood travels (11:48)
- Using acquisitions to expand 14:31)
- Making acquisition decisions, and the finding the right fit (17:00)
- Fortune’s most recent acquisition, and future growth plans (18:27)
- Direct-to-consumer project (20:27)
- The senior team at Fortune International (22:03)
- The current economy’s effect on business (24:30)
- Sean’s favorite products and locations for seafood (26:39)
Links:
Fortune Fish & Gourmet on LinkedIn
Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.
