COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311712

Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

20companies1897–1970founding years20still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedIAWS Group plcFoundedIAWS Group plc
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedPhillips Foods, Inc.FoundedPhillips Foods, Inc.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedThe Albert Fisher Group plcFoundedThe Albert Fisher Group plc
1920
FoundedGeorge Weston LimitedFoundedGeorge Weston Limited
1928
FoundedUnilever
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedEmpresas Copec S.A.FoundedEmpresas Copec S.A.
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedNichirei CorporationFoundedNichirei Corporation
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedBumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C.FoundedBumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C.
1960
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedRich Products CorporationFoundedRich Products Corporation
1965
FoundedTrident Seafoods Corporation
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

IAWS Group plc →
Active · founded 1897 · Ireland
From its late 19th-century origins in Ireland's cooperative movement, IAWS Group plc has grown into a leading food…
IAWS Group plc →
Active · founded 1897 · Ireland
From its late 19th-century origins in Ireland's cooperative movement, IAWS Group plc has grown into a leading food…
Phillips Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Phillips Foods, Inc.
Phillips Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Phillips Foods, Inc.
The Albert Fisher Group plc →
Active · founded 1920 · United Kingdom
The Albert Fisher Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading fresh, chilled, and frozen foods groups, operating…
The Albert Fisher Group plc →
Active · founded 1920 · United Kingdom
The Albert Fisher Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading fresh, chilled, and frozen foods groups, operating…
George Weston Limited →
Active · founded 1928 · Canada
George Weston Limited is a major Canadian food processor and distributor, with a number of operations in the United…
George Weston Limited →
Active · founded 1928 · Canada
George Weston Limited is a major Canadian food processor and distributor, with a number of operations in the United…
Unilever →
Active · founded 1929 · The Netherlands
If the adage 'two heads are better than one' applies to business, then certainly Unilever is a prime example.
Unilever →
Active · founded 1929 · The Netherlands
If the adage 'two heads are better than one' applies to business, then certainly Unilever is a prime example.
Empresas Copec S.A. →
Active · founded 1934 · Chile
Empresas Copec S.A.
Empresas Copec S.A. →
Active · founded 1934 · Chile
Empresas Copec S.A.
Nichirei Corporation →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
Nichirei Corporation has developed a two-pronged leadership strategy in two core markets: processed foods, on the one…
Nichirei Corporation →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
Nichirei Corporation has developed a two-pronged leadership strategy in two core markets: processed foods, on the one…
Bumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1960
Bumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C.
Bumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1960
Bumble Bee Seafoods L.L.C.
Rich Products Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
Rich Products Corporation entered the 21st century as one of the leading frozen food manufacturers in the United States.
Rich Products Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
Rich Products Corporation entered the 21st century as one of the leading frozen food manufacturers in the United States.
Trident Seafoods Corporation →
Active · founded 1970
Trident Seafoods Corporation is a vertically integrated harvester, processor, and marketer of seafood, operating…
Trident Seafoods Corporation →
Active · founded 1970
Trident Seafoods Corporation is a vertically integrated harvester, processor, and marketer of seafood, operating…
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