Icicle's Guhlke added to ASMI board

Here's an announcement today from Gov. Sean Parnell:

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors

Gov. Parnell appointed Dennis Guhlke and reappointed Kevin Adams and Jack Schultheis to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors. The board promotes seafood and byproducts harvested in Alaska for sale, and develops market-oriented quality specifications.

Guhlke, of Edmonds, Wash., is the president and CEO of Icicle Seafoods Inc., where he has worked since 1993. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance. Guhlke is appointed to a large processor seat.

Adams, of Anchorage, has 38 years of experience as a driftnet boat captain in Bristol Bay. He has also worked as a contract employee for the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association. He is a former vice president of the Great Ruby Fish Co., and the former manager for Adams Enterprises. Adams is appointed to a harvester seat.

Schultheis, of Emmonak, is a general manager for Kwik'pak Fisheries. He has been involved in processing for 37 years, mostly in western Alaska fisheries. Schultheis is appointed to a small processor seat.

Don Giles to retire at Icicle

Here's a recent press release about changes at the top at Icicle Seafoods Inc., one of Alaska's biggest processors:

Dennis Guhlke Named Chief Executive Officer of Icicle Seafoods

Brenda Morris appointed CFO

Company Looks to Build on Success Driven by the Leadership of Retiring CEO, Don Giles

SEATTLE, April 17, PRNewswire – Icicle Seafoods, Inc., a diversified seafood harvesting, processing and marketing company, today announced the appointment of Dennis Guhlke to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2009. Mr. Guhlke succeeds Don Giles, who will retire as CEO on June 30, 2009 after 36 years at Icicle. Mr. Giles will continue to serve as an advisor for the next three years to Icicle on various projects. Mr. Giles has been Chief Executive Officer since 1994.

Read the rest of the release here.

Will Icicle keep its seat?

The sudden replacement of Dennis Guhlke as chief executive of Icicle Seafoods Inc. creates a vacancy on the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

The seat is reserved for a larger processor representative, and the governor makes ASMI board appointments.

It'll be interesting to see if Icicle's new president, Amy Humphreys, is named to the ASMI board, or perhaps someone else from the company.

In any event, it could be a short gig, as Guhlke's term on the seven-member board was due to expire June 30.

Gov. Sean Parnell appointed Guhlke to the board in August 2010.

Presumably, ASMI would like to have the new board member in place as soon as possible. The board has big meetings coming up on March 10 at the International Boston Seafood Show, and on May 8-9 in Anchorage.

A leadership change at Icicle

Amy Humphreys is the new president and chief executive officer of Icicle Seafoods Inc., taking over for Dennis Guhlke, who has resigned.

So says this press release from Paine & Partners, the private equity firm that holds Icicle.

Icicle is a major processor of Alaska salmon, pollock, halibut, crab and other seafood.

Humphreys comes to Icicle from Delta Western Inc., where she was president of the Alaska petroleum distributor. She previously was an executive with American Seafoods.

In the press release, Humphreys says she believes Icicle has "many opportunities to continue its growth in both wild and farmed seafood product offerings."

Changes at the top for Icicle

Icicle Seafoods Inc., one of the biggest fish processors operating in Alaska, has named a new chief executive officer.

Chris Ruettgers takes over for Amy Humphreys, who becomes board chairman.

Naturally, the press release doesn't really say what this change is about.

Humphreys became CEO in February 2013, replacing Dennis Guhlke.

Seattle-based Icicle is held by Paine & Partners, a private equity firm.

Icicle's Adak deal confirmed

Here's the official announcement on Icicle's return to Adak.

April 8, 2011

Aleut Fisheries and Western Star Seafoods, a subsidiary of Icicle Seafoods, finalize lease of Adak seafood processing facility

ANCHORAGE — Aleut Fisheries LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aleut Enterprise LLC, and Western Star Seafoods Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Icicle Seafoods Inc., one of the largest and most diversified seafood companies in Alaska, are pleased to announce they have finalized a long-term lease of the seafood processing facility in Adak, Alaska.

Icicle has personnel in Adak readying the plant to resume operations, with a goal of becoming fully operational in time for the 2012 Pacific cod season. Icicle expects the plant to be operating on a limited capacity by summer 2011.

Dennis Guhlke, president and CEO of Icicle, commented, "The facility in Adak provides us with both unique opportunities and challenges. We are excited by the prospect of it complementing our existing Icicle operations and providing further scale and diversification to our business. We look forward to the resumption of processing in Adak and the positive impact it will have on the local community and fishing fleet."

"We are happy to provide a leading seafood company such as Icicle with an opportunity to bring additional economic development to the Western Aleutian region and Adak in particular," said Sharon Lind, board chairman of the Aleut Corp., parent company of Aleut Enterprise. "We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship that will benefit not only Icicle Seafoods and Aleut Enterprise, but the community and the fishing sector that harvest in the area."

'I want to thank the employees'

Deckboss on Wednesday linked to a press release about Icicle Seafoods Inc. selling the assets of its Bellingham, Wash., surimi business to Trident Seafoods Corp.

Funny, though, how press releases sometimes don't give us the full story.

Turns out that on Aug. 2, the very same day the release came out, the Washington State Employment Security Department received word from Icicle that, well, 71 workers would be permanently laid off in Bellingham beginning Oct. 18. The notice specifies "closure" as the reason for the layoff.

Dennis Guhlke, Icicle's chief executive, was quoted in the Trident-issued press release as saying: "I want to thank the employees of the Bellingham plant, whose contributions over the years are very much appreciated."

But the release didn't mention any worker layoff or closure of the plant, which Icicle's website says has been making imitation crabmeat and other surimi-based goods since 1986.

Seattle-based Icicle, born 45 years ago in the quintessential Alaska fishing town of Petersburg, today is a chip in a San Francisco private equity firm's "portfolio." The firm, Paine & Partners, holds all sorts of investments, from vegetable seeds to telecom to oil industry services to French perfume.

Trident's existing surimi operations include its Louis Kemp plant in Minnesota.

Governor names three to ASMI board

Gov. Sean Parnell has reappointed Kevin Adams and Jack Schultheis to the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Parnell also appointed Amy Humphreys. She fills the seat formerly held by Dennis Guhlke, whom Humphreys replaced in February as chief executive of Icicle Seafoods Inc.

Here's the press release from the governor's office.

Down on the farm

Icicle Seafoods is selling its interest in a Chilean farmed salmon operation to an ownership group that includes two familiar names: Dennis Guhlke and Don Giles.

All the details here.

Standing by

Deckboss expects we'll soon hear from the governor's office on appointments to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

The board normally has seven members, with processors holding five seats and fishermen two.

One seat currently is vacant, due to Dennis Guhlke's exit as chief executive of Icicle Seafoods Inc. in February.

The terms for two other ASMI directors expire on June 30. They are Kevin Adams, a commercial fisherman and board chairman, and Jack Schultheis, general manager of Kwik'pak Fisheries LLC.

A bit more on those ASMI appointments

Dennis Guhlke, the Icicle Seafoods chief executive, replaces Tom McLaughlin of the Seafood Producers Cooperative on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

The seven-member board is made up of five processors and two commercial fishermen.

The governor appoints all members, who serve three-year terms.