• History
•
•
•
•
•
 |
Mar-Lees Seafood, LLC, is a privately held Massachusetts company engaged in production and distribution of seafood and other products. Located in Downtown New Bedford, MA, one of the nation’s largest seafood ports, Mar-Lees, is an integrated company, importing, harvesting, processing, packaging and distributing scallops, shrimp and all other fine seafood products to retail, wholesale and food service trades.
Mar-Lees was established in 1986 by John Lees Jr. once a former deck hand on a scallop boat. John Lees Jr., became the sole proprietor in 1990 by purchasing his partners possessive shares.
Since then the company’s processing facility has under gone significant improvements and modernizations to comply with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards. The company’s state-of-the-art processing facility includes modern liquid nitrogen (IQF) machinery with a tumbling conveyor system to ensure uniform freezing characteristics and a low crystal formation.
Mar-Lees sources a wide variety of seafood products from numerous locations utilizing various suppliers from all around the World. The Majority of the Company’s products are produced under either the customer’s private label or are sold as Mar-Lees brand label name known as the “Cape Way” family of brands and Nantucket Supreme.
Mar-Lees, has been committed to consistently provide the highest quality products at the best value to all their customers. With over 100 years of combined experience in the seafood business, Mar-Lees believes in our products and our ability to grow your business.
In the news
Mar-Lees teams up with major scallop harvester
2006-5-25 4:18:22
New Bedford, Mass.-based scallop supplier Mar-Lees said Thursday it entered into a partnership with Warren Alexander, president of Atlantic Shellfish and a major owner of scallop boats operating out of New Bedford.
The joint venture boosts Mar-Lees scallop access five million pounds, the amount harvested by Alexander’s fleet of 20 vessels. Mar-Lees owns three of its own vessels.
Mar-Lees will handle all distribution of the product; Alexander will join Mar-Lees as operator of the company’s fishing fleet.
Access to the valuable U.S. scallop fishery is controlled by a limited-access management system. The venture gives Mar-lees more than a 14 percent share of the annual U.S. sea scallop harvest, making the company one of the largest suppliers in the region, John Lees, CEO of Mar-Lees, told IntraFish.
With the rising price of scallops, the value of scallop vessels and the licenses required to fish the resource has risen sharply in recent years, creating a barrier to entry for smaller scallop operators and ushering in a new wave of consolidation in the fishery, said Lees.
The announcement of Mar-Lees acquisition:
2005-7-26 3:15
Mar-Lees announced the purchase of 3 Scallop Vessels. “These vessels will strengthen our position as we become one of largest vertically integrated Sea Scallop producers” said John Lees Jr, founder and CEO.
Mar-Lees will license and operate their fleet of vessels out of CT. Jack Morris (a recognized name through out the fishing community) has been positioned as “Fleet Manager”. The company will continue to operate its processing facility in New Bedford, MA.
Scallop Industry Consolidation beginning with Marlees Merger with Atlantic Coast
2003-4-16 11:37:18
The announcement of the merger between Marlees and Atlantic Coast Fisheries in New Bedford, MA, is the first step in the consolidation and restructuring of the scallop industry in New Bedford and elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, said John Lees, CEO of Marlees seafood in a press statement.
The two companies, both with a strong production of frozen scallops, will become one of the largest scallop producers in the world. The company will operate as a new entity under the Marlees name, with John Lees, founder of Marlees as chairman and CEO, and Einer Gustafsson, President and CEO of Atlantic Coast.
The company will continue to be headquartered in the Marlees facility which is located in New Bedford, MA.
Atlantic Coast completed a restructuring effort last year, and received additional equity and expansion of its credit facilities. 'The natural next step was to look outside for a partner that would enable us to achieve our growth and profitability goals' said Einer Gustafsson.
The scallop industry is ripe for consolidation in the opinion of some observers because of the potential for company ownership of vessels, and eventually a possible stacking of fishing permits, allowing a much more efficient and profitable use of the resource.
|