Seamark Group

Seamark Group
Private
Industry Food processing
Founded 1976
Founder Iqbal Ahmed
Bilal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed
Headquarters Hulme Hall Lane, Lord Lord North Street, Manchester, Lancashire, England, M40 8AD
Number of locations
 4
Key people
 Iqbal Ahmed (Chairman and Chief Executive)
Products Seafood, poultry, fruit, vegetables
Brands Lilly, Tiger Brand, Seamark, Restaurant Wholesale, Classic, Seagold Brand, Ibco Brand, Mr, Prawn, Sylhet Brand, Vermilion & Cinnabar
Profit Increase £ 250 million
Owner Iqbal Ahmed
Bilal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed
Number of employees
 4,500
Website www.seamark.co.uk

Seamark Group is a multinational food processing conglomerate company with offices in Manchester, Chittagong, New Jersey and Brooklyn. The company was founded in 1976 and established in 1991 by Iqbal, Bilal and Kamal Ahmed, its headquarters is based in Manchester, England, and has over 4,500 employees. The company is the UK's leading importer and processor of shrimps.

History

Seamark was the first to introduce black tiger shrimps to Europe[1] in 1976.[2] It was founded by brothers; Iqbal, Bilal and Kamal Ahmed.[3]

Seamark plc was established in 1991, specialising in the processing and stocking of warm water shrimps, especially the black tiger and the fresh water king prawn. After processing and packing, these were exported to most countries in Europe.[4] Since 1992, Seamark has invested more than £30m in infrastructure and production in Manchester and around the world. It is a £161m-plus worldwide operation employing 2,500 people around the globe, including 300 at its operations in east Manchester. Its exports account for more than 69% of sales and around 50% of all shrimps exported from Britain come from Seamark's processing operations.[3]

In November 2000, Seamark to opened a £10 million seafood processing plant at the Bangladesh port of Chittagong. In 2001, they opened a U.S sales office in New Jersey and have since acquired a warehouse and a cold store in Brooklyn, New York to distribute our products in North America including Canada.[4] In 2006, Seamark spent £12m on new headquarters[5] on a 6.25- acre on a site in East Manchester[4] when Seamark offshoot, IBCO Food Industries opened.[6] In November 2007, this site was further developed when a large Thai restaurant called Vermilion was opened.[4]

Manufacturing and products

Seamark products sold in Bangladeshi grocery stores

Seamark has more than 1,000 products, from seafood and poultry to fruit and vegetables.[6] It has an annual turnover of $250m and employs 2,500 people around the globe, including 300 at its operations in east Manchester.[7] The Seamark Group of companies has a group turnover of $400m and is the UK's leading importer and processor of shrimps. It has a global workforce of 4,500 people and has a range of products used by chefs and found in supermarkets across the world.[5]

Seamark has offices in New York and Bangladesh, imports, processes and distributes frozen seafood and poultry.[1] Its business runs to its own deep-sea fishing fleet in the Bay of Bengal, purpose-built processing plant in Manchester and a distribution operation in New York.[5] Its operation in Bangladesh processes products ranging from its traditional shrimps to poultry, dry foods, finger foods, frozen fruit and vegetables, and supplies it to the catering trade.[6]

Recognition

In 1998, Seamark was awarded the Queen's Awards for Enterprise for International Trade. In 1999, it was awarded the first prize in the Business in Europe Awards. In Bangladesh Seamark received a national award and gold medal from the Bangladesh Government consecutively for the years 2001, 2002, and 2003, for the highest export of seafood.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Seamark boss Iqbal Ahmed honoured". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Seamark hosts PM visit". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "32. Iqbal, Kamal and Bilal Ahmed: £100m (£95m)". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (July 2008). British Bangladeshi Who's Who. British Bangla Media Group. p. 155. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "The Cheshire Life Glitz List 2014". Cheshire: Cheshire Life. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The Seamark Story". Seamark. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Entrepreneur". British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration. January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2014.

External life