Trident Seafood opens major processing plant in Georgia

The Seattle-based provider seafood products said highway and port infrastructure played key role in company’s decision to open a new East Coast plant.    Seattle-based Trident Seafoods has opened a $40 million production and distribution center in Carrollton, Ga., with capacity to produce 50,000 tons of fish and shellfish per year.
   The new facility will streamline the production process for a growing number of breaded and battered seafood items, and offer significant logistical advantages for major regional markets, according to company officials.
   It is the company’s first facility east of the Mississippi River. Trident CEO Joe Bundrant said Trident wants to grow business in the eastern United States and that Georgia’s transportation infrastructure will allows the company to source raw materials and deliver finished products to market in a timely fashion.
   The site is located about 50 miles west of Atlanta, and is seven miles from I-20 and 30 miles from I-85. The Port of Savannah, which offers 84 refrigerated container racks and 814 chassis plug-ins able to power 2,830 refrigerated boxes at a time, is a major gateway for container trade. Another 20 racks with 480 reefer slots are scheduled to be added by the end of the year, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.
   Trident acquired an existing food processing facility and reconfigured it for its operations with the help of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. It has 67,000 square feet of cold storage space and 15 truck bays. A special feature of the trucks bays is a sealed climate-controlled area where trucks can open their doors and load finished goods with dumping the air in their pre-chilled compartments.
   “Trident’s decision to choose Georgia for its East Coast operation is a strong endorsement, not only for our deepwater ports, but for the economic development and targeted job training assistance our state provides,” said GPA Board Chairman James Walters. “All of these assets are working in coordination to bring jobs and opportunity home to Georgia.”