trū Shrimp Company forms strategic distribution partnership with Gordon Food Service

Balaton, Minnesota, U.S.A.-based shrimp aquaculture innovator trū Shrimp Company has signed a letter of intent with Gordon Food Service, vowing to work with North American foodservice distributor to provide its sustainable shrimp nationwide.

The strategic partnership has been formed upon “a shared vision and commitment by both organizations to invest in a highly sustainable, U.S.-produced at-scale, shrimp product,” trū Shrimp Company said in a 12 January press release.

Gordon’s and trū Shrimp share several “fundamental” similarities in their core values, the companies said, including a drive to deliver high-quality products and establish business relationships that prize responsible conduct and sustainability.

“We couldn’t be prouder about the opportunity in front of us with the team at Gordon. From our very first conversation, we have appreciated their knowledge, candor, and willingness to create a vision for the future together. The values of our companies really complement one another, and we’re confident this will be a fruitful long-term relationship for us both,” trū Shrimp CEO Michael Ziebell said.

trū Shrimp has tested and validated its commercial-scale, shallow-water indoor shrimp farming technology, and is the first company to do so, it said. The firm employs this patented technology to produce traceable and sustainable shrimp that is antibiotic-free. It is in the process of raising capital so it can build its first commercial-scale production facility in Madison, South Dakota.

By partnering with Gordon’s, trū Shrimp will be able to tap into the distributor’s existing network of high-end restaurants, retailers, and consumers, according to its press release.

“We’re excited to announce our partnership with trū Shrimp," Gordon Food Service Director of Imports and Commodities Jagtar Nijjar said. "Our customers continue to express their interest in natural, healthy products, and shrimp is an area in which we have been looking for a partner. We believe this creates an offering no one else can match and we’re eager to grow with trū Shrimp in the years to come."

Established in 1897 as a butter-and-egg deliver service, Gordon’s now serves foodservice operators in the U.S. Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest, as well as coast-to-coast in Canada. It also operates more than 175 Gordon Food Service Store locations.