Icicle sell-off

Today brings word of a big and complex business deal.

As best we can tell, Icicle Seafoods is selling the Dutch Harbor processing ship Northern Victor, nine fishing vessels, and associated Bering Sea pollock quota.

The buyers include Japanese seafood giant Maruha Nichiro and two Alaska community development quota companies — Coastal Villages Region Fund and Norton Sound Economic Development Corp.

More details in this press release.

Is a pollock processor changing hands?

A city of Unalaska memo includes this intriguing line: "Icicle is transferring ownership of its operation at the Northern Victor to Westward."

The Northern Victor, operated by Icicle Seafoods, is a 380-foot processing ship permanently moored at Unalaska. A fleet cooperative supplies the ship with Bering Sea pollock.

Westward Seafoods, a unit of Japanese giant Maruha Nichiro, operates a large processing plant at Dutch Harbor.

Icicle's parent is Canadian seafood company Cooke.

To our knowledge, no company has formally announced a deal involving the Northern Victor. But it sure sounds like something is brewing.

'Transformed valuable frozen fish into garbage'

Icicle Seafoods Inc. is suing a railroad company over a transcontinental shipment of frozen pollock that went bad due to lack of proper refrigeration.

Icicle wants damages of $247,335.65.

Here's the three-page lawsuit.

Ocean Beauty, Icicle announce partial merger

Here's the press release.

Icicle sold — again

Canadian aquaculture company Cooke today announced a "definitive agreement" to purchase Seattle-based Icicle Seafoods.

Here's the press release.

This is the second time in less than a year that an Icicle sale has been announced.

In June 2015, a deal was announced to sell Icicle to Indonesian interests. But the deal fell through.

Fishing finance

Here's an interesting lawsuit, now pending in Alaska federal court, that sheds light on how processors stake fishermen.

Icicle sale called off

The sale of Icicle Seafoods announced in June has fallen through.

Details in this press release.

Icicle Seafoods to be sold in two pieces

After months of speculation, we now have confirmation that the owners of Icicle Seafoods Inc. are selling the company.

Here's the press release.

Icicle, based in Seattle, is one of Alaska's largest seafood processors.

Paine & Partners, the private equity firm that's held Icicle since 2007, says it has agreements to sell Icicle in two pieces.

Convergence Holdings Inc. will acquire Icicle's land-based wild seafood processing and farmed salmon activities.

Dominion Catchers LLC will acquire Icicle's harvesting and processing vessels as well as the associated fishing rights.

"Convergence and Dominion have agreed to enter into long-term contracts to continue Icicle's diversified seafood operations," the press release says.

Convergence is described as "the latest company established by the Indonesia-based Soetantyo family."

The transaction is expected to close in August. Naturally, no one is revealing the sale price.

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.

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.

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.

Adak's gamble

We told you in the spring how Icicle Seafoods Inc. was closing its seafood plant on the distant Aleutian island of Adak, and how the processing equipment would be put up for auction.

Well, the auction is over with the city of Adak and a local community development nonprofit jointly submitting the winning bid.

It's a more than $2 million bet that Adak, trying to remain a viable civilian town on what used to be naval base, can attract another processing company to make use of the equipment.

The alternative, City Manager Layton Lockett told Deckboss, was to let the equipment leave the island, perhaps dooming chances for restarting the processing plant.

The city itself has no intention of running the plant, Lockett said.

Folks on Adak are confident they can lure a new processor.

"To take this kind of gamble? Yeah, for sure," Lockett said. "Fishing is our future."

Here's a press release from the city with more details.

Adak processing gear to go on sale block

You'll recall how Icicle Seafoods Inc. in April said it was closing its processing operation on far-flung Adak Island.

Now a liquidator is planning to auction processing equipment from the plant.

Here's a notice of the sale, and here are the auction details.

Deckboss first heard about this from seafoodnews.com.

Icicle calls it quits on Adak

Here's a press release from Icicle Seafoods:

April 19, 2013

Icicle continues Alaska expansion, plans to close Adak operation

Icicle Seafoods Inc. has decided to close its operation in Adak, in the Aleutian Islands, citing concerns about the short- and long-term health of the region's Pacific cod resource and increased regulatory uncertainty.

"Icicle has worked incredibly hard in the two years since we took it over to make the Adak plant a viable operation," said Amy Humphreys, Icicle's new president and CEO. "We strongly support policies that encourage the development and sustainability of Alaska's coastal communities and recognize this goal is often best achieved with a resident fishing fleet and year-round seafood processing operation. However, given the questionable outlook for the Pacific cod fishery in the area and the high costs of operating in this remote location, we have decided to focus our resources in other areas within our Alaska operations."

Icicle Seafoods has invested heavily elsewhere in Alaska in recent years, most recently completing the purchase of a second shore-based seafood processing facility in Bristol Bay. The addition of the Wood River facility in Dillingham will significantly increase Icicle's capacity to produce high-quality sockeye salmon fillets. Herring and chum and pink salmon will also be processed at the facility.

The purchase was the final step of Icicle's acquisition of Snopac Products assets, which began in 2012.

"The strategic acquisition of the Wood River facility is yet another step in our growth strategy as a leading processor of salmon and other seafood products," Humphreys said. "Icicle is well-positioned with its diversified harvesting and processing infrastructure and its broad, quality product offerings to further strengthen and build upon the founding vision put into motion almost 50 years ago: to be a superior, diversified seafood company offering premier service and commitment to our customers, fishermen and employees."

Previous Alaska investments include the major expansion of Icicle's Petersburg processing facility in 2011; the purchase of the processing vessel Snopac Innovator, renamed the Gordon Jensen in honor of one of Icicle's founders, in the spring of 2012; the installation of a new cod production line on the Gordon Jensen; and the purchases of the AFA trawl catcher vessels Hickory Wind and Progress, in 2011 and 2012.

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."

Icicle fined $430,000 for refrigerant violations

Icicle Seafoods Inc. has agreed to pay a $430,000 penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations including refrigerant leaks from company vessels and processing plants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

This is the second major Alaska seafood company to settle refrigerant violations. American Seafoods Co. in June agreed to pay a $700,000 penalty.

Trouble down on the farm

Icicle Seafoods, one of Alaska's major salmon processors, also is involved in farming Atlantic salmon in Washington state.

Recently, media outlets reported that Icicle was killing scores of farmed fish to prevent an outbreak of infectious hematopoietic necrosis, the IHN virus, from spreading.

Icicle yesterday issued this press release addressing the situation, emphasizing that the virus is found naturally in the region's wild salmon and herring.

Death reported aboard Icicle processor

Here's a press release from the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Togiak
Type: Death investigation
On 5/17/12 at approximately 0500 hours, AST received a report of a death on the F/V Gordon Jensen, a fish processor anchored about 10 miles south of Togiak. AST investigation determined Stanley E. Allison Jr., 43, of Washington, was working as a deckhand on the vessel when he collapsed at about 0330 hours. Efforts to resuscitate Allison at the scene were unsuccessful. Allison was flown to the Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham. A state trooper based in Dillingham was flown to the fishing vessel for additional investigation. Foul play is not suspected, however, an autopsy was requested to determine cause of death. Next of kin have been notified.

The 310-foot Gordon Jensen belongs to Seattle-based Icicle Seafoods Inc. The vessel presumably was in Togiak for the herring fishery that opened Monday.

Worker killed in Seward dock accident

The Anchorage Daily News is reporting a worker died this morning in Seward when an Icicle Seafoods boom truck he was operating tipped over while loading a seine net onto a vessel.

Icicle to acquire Snopac

Looks like we're about to see more processor consolidation at Bristol Bay, home of the state's most valuable sockeye salmon fishery.

Snopac Products Inc. today sent the following email to its fishermen announcing the company's pending sale to Icicle Seafoods Inc.

From: Jenna Hall
Date: Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Subject: Snopac Update

Dear Snopac Fishers,

It has been a busy winter for us here at Snopac and we are writing to bring you up to speed on some significant developments to our 2012 plans and fishing operations.

Tomorrow, a press release is going to be issued by Icicle Seafoods regarding their intention to buy Snopac (we have attached a copy to this email for you to read prior to its release). We have signed a Letter of Intent with Icicle, and are now in the midst of a customary "due diligence" process that will take several weeks. Hopefully the sale will close as both parties intend, however until that happens, it is not final.

Should the sale finalize, we will do everything we can to ensure a smooth transition for our fishers and tenders. There will be many operational details to be sorted out and both Icicle and Snopac intend to do so with the most positive impact for our fleet.

Should the sale not finalize prior to the season, we have made arrangements with Icicle to jointly operate in Bristol Bay in 2012 by consolidating resources and expanding services, which will benefit both our operation and our fleet. Icicle is a very competitive market who boasts short tender lines, great offload capacity and high limits. Working with them will give our fleet access to these benefits.

Either way, you can be assured that you have a competitive market in 2012. In addition, Snopac will be announcing a 2011 retro shortly and we will also be coming out with pre-season logistics as far as northbound freight and other timely issues.

Ben and I will be making telephone calls to each of you to personally address any questions or concerns, but feel free to call Greg, Jenna or Ben at anytime.

Thank you for your fish and your continued support.

All the best,

Jenna

Jenna Blakey Hall
Snopac Products Inc.
Seattle