Seamark Group

Seamark was the first company to introduce black tiger shrimps to Europe{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/seamark-boss-iqbal-ahmed-honoured-697587|title=Seamark boss Iqbal Ahmed honoured|location=Manchester|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=22 November 2012|access-date=1 November 2014}} in 1976.{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/seamark-hosts-pm-visit-679242|title=Seamark hosts PM visit|location=Manchester|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=9 January 2012|access-date=1 November 2014}} It was founded by brothers; Iqbal, Bilal and Kamal Ahmed.{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/160/160694_32_iqbal_kamal__and_bilal__ahmed_100m_95m.html|title=32. Iqbal, Kamal and Bilal Ahmed: £100m (£95m)|location=Manchester|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=31 May 2005|access-date=1 November 2014}} 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.{{cite book |last1=Karim|first1=Mohammed Abdul|last2=Karim|first2=Shahadoth|title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who|url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/Profile/Ahmed_OBE_Mr_Iqbal%20.pdf|date=July 2008|publisher=British Bangla Media Group|page=155|access-date=1 November 2014}}

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Since 1992, Seamark has invested more than £30m in infrastructure and production around the world. In November 2000, they opened a £10 million seafood processing plant at the Bangladesh port of Chittagong. In 2006, the company spent £12m on new headquarters{{cite news |url=http://www.cheshirelife.co.uk/people/the_cheshire_life_glitz_list_2014_1_3731827|title=The Cheshire Life Glitz List 2014|location=Cheshire|publisher=Cheshire Life|date=19 August 2012|access-date=1 November 2014}} on a 6.25- acre site in East Manchester when Seamark offshoot, IBCO Food Industries opened.{{cite web |url=http://www.seamark.co.uk/The-Seamark-Story|title=The Seamark Story|publisher=Seamark|access-date=1 November 2014}} In November 2007, this site was further developed when a Thai restaurant called Vermilion was opened.

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Seamark has more than 1,000 products of seafood, poultry, fruit, vegetables, and finger foods. Its operation in Chittagong, 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.

Its business runs a production facility with its own shrimp processing line and hatchery in Chittagong, a deep-sea fishing fleet in the Bay of Bengal, a purpose-built processing plant and head office in Manchester, and a distribution operation in The Netherlands.

Seamark is a £161m-plus worldwide operation with an annual turnover of $250m, and a global workforce of 4,500 people, including 300 at its operations in east Manchester.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbpower-inspiration.com/entrepreneur/|title=Entrepreneur|publisher=British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration|date=January 2013|access-date=1 November 2014}} The production facilities in Bangladesh created 1,000 jobs for the local community.{{cite web |url=http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/fasttrack/leagues/dbintDetails.asp?siteID=8&compID=3399&yr=2012|title=Rank: 191 Seamark|publisher=Fast Track|year=2012|access-date=27 May 2015}}

Seamark has a customer base of retailers, wholesalers and distributors throughout the world, with key markets in Germany and the Benelux countries. The Seamark Group of companies has a group turnover of $400m, is the UK's leading importer and processor of shrimps, and has a range of products used by chefs and found in supermarkets across the world.

Its exports account for more than 69% of sales and around 50% of all shrimps exported from Britain come from Seamark's processing operations. The company's international sales have grown by 22% a year, from £32.6m in 2009 to £48.9m in 2011.

In 1998, Seamark was awarded the Queen's Awards for Enterprise for International Trade. In July 1999, it was awarded the Barclays Business in Europe export award.{{cite news |last=Alibhai-Brown|first=Yasmin|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comment-cool-britannia-ii--the-bangladeshis-are-coming-1104371.html|title=Comment: Cool Britannia II – the Bangladeshis are coming|newspaper=The Independent|date=5 July 1999|access-date=1 November 2014}}

In Bangladesh, the company 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.

In 2012, Seamark was ranked 191 in The Sunday Times HSBC International Track top 200 performing private companies in the UK. In February 2016, it was awarded the Outstanding Business of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.{{cite news |url=http://asianworldnews.co.uk/business/british-muslim-awards-2016/|title=British Muslim Awards 2016|publisher=Asian World|date=17 February 2016|access-date=11 April 2017}}

• Business of British Bangladeshis

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.seamark.co.uk/}}
• [http://www.ibco.co.uk/ Ibco website]
• [http://www.restaurantwholesale.co.uk/ Restaurant Wholesale website]
• [http://www.vermilion.uk.com/ Vermilion website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seamark Group}}

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1991

Category:1991 establishments in England

Category:Food and drink companies based in Manchester

Category:Conglomerate companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Wholesalers of the United Kingdom

Category:Privately held companies of England

Category:Food processing industry in the United Kingdom