Ocean Choice International hires new Managing Director to lead its European operations

September 3, 2020

Ocean Choice International is happy to announce that Rens Elderkamp is joining the Company’s sales team as the Managing Director of its European Operations. Rens brings over a decade of seafood sales and marketing experience that will complement Ocean Choice’s existing European sales force and market expansion activities. Rens will join Ocean Choice in October 2020.

“We are extremely pleased that Rens is joining our European sales team,” said Martin Sullivan, CEO, Ocean Choice International. “Europe is an important market for Ocean Choice and we recognize the need to increase our sales efforts to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our existing customers while also strategically expanding our presence in the market.”

Ocean Choice is vertically integrated, harvesting, processing and marketing seafood on its fleet of six offshore vessels and five processing facilities. The Company has sales offices around the world, including an office in the United Kingdom and satellite offices in the Netherlands and Italy. Ocean Choice currently sells a diversified range of species in 17 countries in Europe, including cooked and peeled shrimp, frozen at sea shrimp, scallops and a variety of groundfish species to a range of customers.

“With increased demand in our European markets and the addition of our new state-of-the-art, Green class groundfish vessel, the MV Calvert, there is a need for Ocean Choice to increase our focus in Europe,” said Blaine Sullivan, President, Ocean Choice International. “Rens brings a wealth of knowledge of the industry that will complement the expertise and knowledge of our existing sale force in Europe.”

The new position comes on the heels of Ocean Choice’s investment in its new state-of-the-art Green class groundfish vessel – the M.V. Calvert – that joined the Company’s existing fleet of five offshore fishing vessels in June. The MV Calvert sustainably harvests yellowtail flounder and redfish that will be sold to markets worldwide, including Europe and complements the Company’s inshore processing. The 74 meter, frozen at sea Arctic class vessel boasts advanced technologies to maximize yield and quality, while reducing processing times to deliver market-ready products to customers around the globe.

“I am excited to join Ocean Choice in this new role and help the Company grow its European sales,” said Rens Elderkamp, Managing Director, European Operations, Ocean Choice International. “With such a diversified range of species and the fact the company is vertically integrated Ocean Choice has a lot to offer the European market, including consistent, year-round supply of sustainably sourced seafood – something that is important to customers in Europe and around the world.”

About Ocean Choice
A leader in the Canadian fishing industry, Ocean Choice is vertically integrated from ocean to plate. The Company sustainably harvests, produces and markets a full range of shellfish, groundfish and pelagic species, including: snow crab, cold-water shrimp, scallops, yellowtail flounder, redfish, Greenland halibut, mackerel and capelin. With 1,700 employees and sales offices in North America, Europe and Asia, each year Ocean Choice sells over 100 million pounds of product to over 30 countries. For more information visit: www.oceanchoice.com.

About Rens Elderkamp
Rens has spent the last decade working with various seafood companies in Europe where he has developed a strong knowledge of the market. Rens is known in the industry for his ability to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with partners. Over the years, Rens has held various sales and purchasing positions with Anova Seafood and most recently he was employed at Sligro Food Group as the Purchasing and Category Fish Manager.

Cara Pike, Director, Communications and Marketing, Ocean Choice
C: +1 (709) 685-9290 E: cpike@oceanchoice.com