OUr story
A Fishing Tale Four Generations in the Making
The secret to our success is in the family name, and it dates back to the 1800s. The Shaw family – men and women – worked as watermen, fishers, and boat builders on the rivers of Southern New Jersey.
At the turn of the 20th Century, starfish invaded the Chesapeake Bay and destroyed the oyster beds. With their livelihood of oyster harvesting decimated, H. W. Shaw and his family were forced to look elsewhere to survive.
Captain H. W. Shaw, wife Flossie Russell, and son John traveled to Apalachicola, Florida. They discovered a wealth and abundant supply of blue crabs. Being fishermen, they transferred their skills as oystermen to harvesting crabs, cooking, cleaning, and preparing the crabmeat for sale. Also in Apalachicola, John met and married his wife, Pheenix, a young school teacher.
That’s when our company’s true tale begins.
The family established the first crab meat plant in Apalachicola, Florida in 1934 and shortly after moved their operation to Jacksonville. Howard and Flossie opened their plant in the southside of St. Johns River, and John and Pheenix established theirs on the Northside of the Trout River. The crab plant on the Trout River is where we are today.
The Shaw Family Seafood Company has since evolved into a cutting-edge seafood manufacturing plant with a global reach. Our dedication to quality, consistency, and innovation has never wavered. Whether its working with national grocers, restaurant chains or creating our own branded products, we genuinely like what we do, and it shows. Get started with one of America’s best seafood companies right now.