The Sea Watch Story
In 1970 when Leroy Truex told his wife Roberta he was going to work a clam boat named the Ellen W he never imagined what might happen as a result of his first trip on a Surf clam boat. That fateful day was the beginning of what is today Sea Watch International. Sea Watch International came to be in 1978 when the Jenkins family of Milford, DE teamed up with a gentleman that presented them with an unusual opportunity. That opportunity was to turn their vegetable cannery that had been running since 1949 into a Clam cannery. Sea Watch operated for the following two years as a clam cannery then installed a fry line to round out their offerings of canned clams, canned clam chowder, clam juice and now fried clam strips. In 1984 Sea Watch acquired two specialty seafood companies named Mr. Frosty of Newport News, VA and Old Salt Seafood of Easton, MD. These two companies were regional favorites and supplied most of the east coast with crab cakes, fried soft shell clams and other seafood specialties. In 1988 the Jenkins family sold the company to the Rymer Meat Company out of Chicago, IL. Who in turn sold it to Niecheri Foods of Tokyo Japan in 1990. Since the early eighty’s Sea Watch had received the majority of their live clams from TMT Clams. TMT Clams or Truex, Meyers, Truex Clams are the two sons and one son in law of Leroy Truex and the picture becomes clearer. In 1999 Nichirei decided to divest themselves of many of the US companies that they had acquired including Sea Watch International. By this time the vast majority of live clams for Sea Watch were coming from TMT Clams. The working relationship between Sea Watch and TMT Clams had been a solid business relationship and had formed some loyal bonds. The CFO of Sea Watch at the time, Bob Brennan worked with Nichrei management and TMT Clams to open negotiations for new ownership. This change of ownership brought together the largest harvester of clams and the largest processor of clams in the United States and arguably the world. Sea Watch ownership now consists of Barney Truex, Jim Meyers, Martin Truex Sr. and Bob Brennan as the President and managing partner. Since this ownership has been in place Sea Watch International has grown by 3 fold through market expansion, innovation and acquisitions. Today Sea Watch International stands as the leader in the Domestic Offshore Clam Industry and is taking its place as a seafood industry leader. Despite the fortunate growth of the company over the past years, Sea Watch remains a family owned and orientated company with second and third generations working in the business. If for no other reason than that Sea Watch spends countless dollars and man hours on fishery conservation and management. Sea Watch was instrumental in forming the NFI Clam Committee and a charter member of the National Science Foundation’s Science Center for Marine Fisheries. These organizations concentrate on making sure that the best science available is the best science possible to maintain the Sustainability of this fishery for generations to come.
