April 17, 2012 – Bristol Seafood is planning to invest more than $1 million to upgrade its Portland Fish Pier facility over the next 30 months.
The seafood processor and distributor plans to modernize its production area to streamline work, upgrade its defrosting and grading systems, and invest in green technology to help it conserve and recycle water, according to a press release. The company will seek American-made technology when it can.
Bristol Seafood has been on the fish pier since 1992, and in 2000 expanded its facility to 30,000 square feet. It has 75 employees. According to its website, it distributes haddock, cod, scallops, salmon and flatfish.
The announcement is the second in the last three weeks related to improvements at fish pier operations. At the end of March, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree announced the city of Portland will get a $320,000 U.S. Economic Development Administration grant for repairs at the Portland Fish Exchange. The money will pay to replace leaky refrigeration equipment. Federal officials agreed to expedite the funding so the work could happen as soon as possible. According to Pingree, 95% of the fish landed in Maine goes through the fish exchange.