Cooke Aquaculture expands operations and new jobs
Canada: Cooke Aquaculture is expanding its St. George aquaculture and fish processing operations, creating 230 new jobs supported by a CAD 3 million forgivable loan from the New Brunswick government.
A press release from Premier Shawn Graham's office announced the loan late last week. "Our government is proud to invest in the jobs created by the expansion of Cooke Aquaculture and its efforts to expand its aquaculture and fish processing capacity," Graham said in the press release. "I am confident that continuing to build strategic partnerships such as this one will help New Brunswick achieve its goal of self-sufficiency by 2026."
"We are a local family company with deep roots in New Brunswick," said Michael Cooke, chief operating officer of Cooke Aquaculture. "Even though we have expanded beyond Atlantic Canada's borders to be competitive globally, we remain committed to this region, to these communities and to its people. This commitment is backed by our company's ongoing capital an investment in our Charlotte County operations and it is further supported by the government, which recognizes the important role our sector can play in the province's future."
A total of 198 new employees have already been hired, and the remaining 32 will be hired by the end of 2008. The company has operations in Atlantic Canada, Maine and Chile, and employs 1,400 people.
Cooke Aquaculture is an independent, family-owned company based in Charlotte County. The company is vertically integrated and manages its entire value chain, from fish egg to plate. It offers a spectrum of premium fresh seafood products to the marketplace, including farmed salmon, trout, cod, and mussels under the brand names True North Salmon, Heritage Salmon and Jail Island Salmon.
