Celebrating 20 Years In The Food Delivery Industry, Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics Looks Back On How It All Began

FERNDALE, Wash., Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Her name was Helen. She really wanted some wild salmon," recalls Vital Choice founder Randy Hartnell, explaining why he founded Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics 20 years ago in 2001.

With 20 years in business Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics explores how it began with a request from a salmon lover.

Hartnell, an Alaska fisherman, had seen wild salmon prices collapse due to a new product: cheap farmed salmon. Nearly broke, he and a friend were touring the Midwest cooking up his wild salmon to sell to natural-food store patrons. "We gave presentations and told them it was more nutritious, and when they tried it they could tell it tasted better."

After one such show, "This very insistent woman named Helen, comes up and says, 'How can I get this when you guys are gone?'" It was a lightbulb moment. If Helen wanted this salmon shipped, then maybe other people wanted seafood shipped to them as well.

"I said, 'I'll send you some," Hartnell says, "Though I had no idea how to send frozen salmon to Kalamazoo or anywhere else. I figured it out and sent it."

After building a business plan and a website, Vital Choice was born in August of 2001.

The early product line was "pretty thin," recalls Dave Hamburg, Vital Choice president and a fellow Alaska fisherman.

"We had some sockeye, some halibut, some smoked salmon and lox. That was about it." Eventually, Vital Choice became what it is today, nationally recognized by leading doctors and nutritionists, a certified B-Corporation (since 2014), and a thriving business with over 200 unique sustainably sourced products.

Because it was started by fishermen, Vital Choice retains its unique understanding of where its products originate, and the importance of sourcing with care and giving back to the environment.

"We're not just a retailer. We're also an active advocate for protecting wild fish resources and the livelihood of the responsible fishers," says Hamburg. "We feel it personally because that's the world we come from."

And what about the next 20 years?

"Health and sustainability are two megatrends that I believe will only grow," said Hartnell. "Wild salmon is among the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Demand will continue to grow. There is competition in the space now that wasn't there 20 years ago, but I think our intense focus on quality and responsibility will serve us well to 2041 and beyond."

About Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics
Before founding Vital Choice in 2001, Northwest Washington native Randy Hartnell spent more than 20 years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. Today, Vital Choice is the trusted source for fast home delivery of the world's finest wild Alaskan seafood, whole-food supplements, and organic fare.

Vital Choice foods are the purest available, always sustainably harvested from healthy, well-managed wild fisheries and organic farms. The company's products are recognized for their superior taste and health benefits and endorsed by leading health and wellness experts.

For more about Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics, please visit www.vitalchoice.com or follow @vitalchoice in social media.

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SOURCE Vital Choice