(Spirit Lake)– An expansion is in the works for Stoller Fisheries in Spirit Lake.
Company President Larry Stoller tells KUOO news they’re expanding into processed fish products. He says the company has agreed to donate three million pounds of fish products to Hunger Solutions of Minnesota over the next five years to be distributed to charitable food pantries.
Through an affiliation with Northwest Food Strategies, Stoller says the company was able to obtain funding from Kraft Foods to purchase specialized processing equipment in exchange for donating to the relief effort.
Stoller says expanding into the processed product market means they’ll eventually be distributing to several major supermarket chains. Stoller says they’ve already received commitments from Europe for the products.
Stoller says that while they have room to handle the additional processing equipment, that they’re looking at making major improvements to their facility on Highways nine and 71 in Spirit Lake. He says they want to tear down the oldest part of the plant and replace it with a new facility. A timeframe for that hasn’t been set yet, but Stoller says planning will start this summer.
Stoller also announced Monday the company will discontinue its longhaul trucking operations of fish products out of its plant. It’s contracting those services out with a Minnesota firm. Stoller says they will continue to own their own trucks for shipping fish products into their plant in Spirit Lake.
Stoller Fisheries was founded in 1932 by Harry F. Stoller.
The company currently employs about 40 people. Larry Stoller says that number will probably grow with the expansion…but he’s not sure by how many.
