Company History

Today we may take for granted that we can have fresh seafood anytime we want regardless of where we are, but this has not always been a reality. That all changed in 1946 when a lake side vision by George Doizaki led to the founding of American Fish and Seafood Co. Mr. Doizaki had spent the years during World War II farming with relatives in Colorado in an attempt to avoid internment, when he happened upon a group of fisherman in Utah on his way back home to California. At that moment he decided this was to be his future.

Back in Los Angeles, Mr. Doizaki and his partners, Harry Fujino, and Masaru Okamoto started a seafood business in the hopes of supplying restaurants and stores in the Los Angeles area. The original motto was "Distribute only the freshest, finest quality seafood" and has remained so to this day. Being so close to the end of the war, and fearing anti Japanese sentiment, they decided on a name for their company, and American Fish and Seafood was born. The 1st 10 years turned out to be very prosperous, and by 1956 the men had become prominent in the Los Angeles area, especially within the Japanese community. This provided them with the ability to acquire more property, grow the business, and eventually incorporate.

By 1980 Mr. Doizaki had bought out his 2 partners and continued to grow his company, and became even more influential in the Los Angeles Japanese community. By this time, his son Ernie had graduated from school and was working side by side with his father. Not soon after though, Mr. Doizaki passed away, leaving the company to his son. Over the next decade, under the supervision of Chairman George Cohen, now President Ernie made substantial acquisitions and widely expanded the business. In 1997, Mr. Cohen passed away and Ernie Doizaki became chairman of the board. American Fish and Seafood Co. was now a prominent supplier of restaurants, cruise ships, and hotels in California, Arizona, and Florida. During the following decades, American Fish and Seafood Co. opened new plants in both Reno, NV and Phoenix, AZ, and acquired Kansas Packing, which is now known as Kansas Marine. Kansas Marine supplies cruise ships with not only seafood, but everything they need to accommodate their guests.

Technology became an important part of the company’s unprecedented growth. American Fish and Seafood Co. employees closely monitor things such as weather conditions, availability, and market price in order to provide up to date information allowing their customers to make informed decisions regarding their everyday purchases. These same customers have online access to professional recipes, matched with each product offered; even further assisting the valued customer with their choices. Customer service professionals are available 24 hours a day to assist our customers. They go as far as offering trainings on things such as safe handling techniques and staying ahead of market trends.

In 2005 American Fish and Seafood Co. opened a new 65,000 square foot plant in Los Angeles, and in 2007 moved the Reno, NV facility to Sacramento, CA. In 2009, they bought a new building in Phoenix, AZ, and acquired a distribution center in San Diego, CA, Chesapeake Fish. American Fish and Seafood Co. now had distribution centers in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Palm Springs, Phoenix, and San Diego, providing fresh seafood to these areas on a daily basis. They can also ship seafood overnight to anywhere in the United States, expanding their supply area from coast to coast.

Even with multiple locations, the motto "Distribute only the freshest, finest quality seafood" is never compromised. American Fish and Seafood Co, voluntarily employs federal inspectors full time in order to ensure the vast amount of fresh frozen seafood brought in from all over the world that is processed in each of these centers is safe for our customers. The National Marine Fisheries Service also assists us in the seafood inspection program at each of our facilities. Each center specializes in products matched to its region as well as what the market dictates, assisting us in delivering the freshest possible seafood anywhere in the country. We will always continue to raise the bar when it comes to freshness and quality, something we will never compromise.