Pacific Seafood
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Seafood processing and distribution |
| Founded | 1941 in Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Founder | (not specified) |
| Headquarters | Clackamas , United States |
Area served | Western United States, international seafood markets |
Key people | Frank Dulcich (CEO) |
| Products | Seafood products |
| Owner | Family-owned |
Number of employees | 2500+ ((not specified)) |
| Website | www |
Pacific Seafood ranks among the largest seafood enterprises in North America. Established in 1941 as a modest fresh seafood retailer in Portland, Oregon, it has evolved into a prominent vertically integrated processor and distributor of seafood within the United States. The business remains under family ownership, with CEO Frank Dulcich, the founder’s grandson, directing its operations. Pacific Seafood employs a workforce exceeding 2,500 and is based in Clackamas, Oregon.
Scope
Operating facilities across seven Western states, Pacific Seafood handles seafood products sourced from Alaska down to Mexico. The company plays an active role in international seafood commerce and holds membership in the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. Committed to sustainable fishing practices, it supports fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, reinforcing its dedication to responsible procurement and strengthening its position in the market.
Environment and food safety
Multiple Pacific Seafood plants have achieved British Retail Consortium (BRC) certification by implementing safety protocols such as segregating raw from cooked items and utilizing positive airflow systems to reduce contamination risks. In collaboration with Georgia-Pacific, the company employs Greenshield—a proprietary, fully recyclable coating that resists moisture for packaging boxes. Additionally, Pacific Seafood operates a waste minimization initiative that annually diverts over 600,000 pounds of materials from landfill disposal.
Honors
Recognized by readers of the Portland Business Journal as "Oregon's 10th Most Admired Company" in agriculture and forest products categories during 2007 and 2009, Pacific Seafood has received notable accolades. In 2008, CEO Frank Dulcich was awarded Purveyor of the Year by the Oregon Restaurant Association.
Legal cases
In 2002, Pacific’s Surimi division entered a no-contest plea concerning theft allegations related to inflated "weigh back" figures, resulting in an $800,000 settlement.
An antitrust class action was initiated in 2010 by Oregon fishermen accusing Pacific of leveraging its market dominance to suppress payments throughout Oregon, Washington, and California. However, in 2011, U.S. District Court Judge Owen Panner dismissed these allegations due to insufficient evidence, highlighting that Pacific had expanded the whiting market and offered record prices since 2006 except during the economic downturn in 2009.
In March 2023, commercial crab fisherman Brand Little filed a class-action lawsuit alleging price-fixing against Pacific, claiming anticompetitive conduct including monopsony practices and clandestine agreements impacting crab pricing across California, Oregon, and Washington. Pacific responded with a motion to dismiss in May 2023. Subsequently, in May 2024, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse approved the dismissal but permitted Little to revise most claims by August 20, 2024.