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Pacific Seafood Group celebrated its 75th Anniversary at a gala event at the Portland Art Museum last week.

The private event on Oct. 17 traced the company’s history from its establishment in 1941 as a single retail store on Powell Blvd. in Portland, Ore., Pacific Seafood was the vision of Frank Dulcich Sr. and his son Dominic, providing fresh, quality seafood to the Portland market. Now headed by current President and CEO Frank Dulcich, the founder’s namesake and grandson, Clackamas, Ore.-based Pacific Seafood has become an industry leader in quality, sustainability and traceability, according to a company press release.

“I am very grateful and thankful for this journey and for the many people who helped make it happen,” Frank Dulcich said. “We truly have created history.”

Dulcich thanked his family, the company’s team members and their families; fishermen and their families; state and federal lawmakers, several of whom attended; state fishery managers and the company’s loyal customers before reflecting on some history: 13 presidents, eight wars, the invention of the microwave in the 1950s, astronauts on the moon in 1969, computer mouse invention in the 1960s, the first cell phone in 1973, fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Tesla car in 2008 and — of particular importance to Dulcich — the creation of the Pacific Diamond Brand in 1983. Pacific’s Diamond Philosophy is built on teamwork, quality, productivity and excellence.

A lot has changed in 75 years, Dulcich said, noting the U.S. population in 1941 was 133.4 million. In 2016, that number more than doubled, to 318.9 million, a lot of mouths to feed, he said.

“The last 75 years is a testimony and example to what you can achieve if we have a vision and we are committed to achieving that vision together,” Dulcich said.

The event featured short movies of testimonials from various Pacific team members, a video about Pacific’s oyster production and quality assurance program and more.

Dulcich’s father, Dominic Dulcich, attended and made his way to the stage to cut a cake with Frank Dulcich’s wife, Jill.

“It’s the people that make the … company,” Dominic Dulcich said. He still goes to work every day, too.

While the event highlighted Pacific Seafood’s commitment to quality seafood, anyone familiar with the company also is aware of Frank Dulcich’s commitment to his employees, families and tradition of philanthropy.

To that end, he announced the company’s decision to donate $75,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in accordance with the company’s “On Board, Doing Good Together” corporate initiative. The Make-A-Wish Oregon and a Make-A-Wish family also attended the event. The partnership between Make-A-Wish and Pacific Seafood has been ongoing since 1998, with Pacific Seafood sponsoring this year’s KGW Make-A-Wish Telethon that was held on Sept. 27.

Still committed to excellence, Pacific Seafood has grown to become a vertically integrated global company with more than 2,600 employees at more than 40 facilities. The company now includes fisheries, aquaculture, processing, distribution and retail facilities; allowing for oversight of the product from dock to table; and ensuring its seafood is harvested in a manner aligned with Pacific Seafood’s high standards for sustainability.

Throughout its history, Pacific Seafood has remained a family-owned company and continues its legacy of bringing the best to the seafood industry and the communities it serves.

“For my wife and I, our dream is to transition Pacific Seafood to the next generation,” Frank Dulcich said, wrapping up the evening. “We have an awesome company. We have an awesome team, made up of incredible individuals. … We are all committed to provide the healthiest and most sustainable protein on the planet. … We are all committed to the next 75 years.”

Source: SeafoodNews.com