Booth Fisheries in Salt Lake City has been acquired by Ocean Beauty Inc., a Seattle-based seafood firm, and merged with Ocean Beauty's Salt Lake City division of Idaho Fish Co.

Officials said the merged company, called Ocean Pride/Salt Lake, will be the largest seafood distributor in the Mountain West region.The firm will be located in Salt Lake City at the Booth Fisheries plant at 1911 S. 9th West, servicing grocers, restaurants and food service companies in the region.

Sales for Booth and Idaho Fish have increased rapidly, and "the merger gives us the financial and marketing strength that will ensure that kind of growth," said Jack Whitney, former general manager of Idaho Fish and general manager of the newly merged fishery.

Ocean Beauty, which owns Idaho Fish, has production facilities in Oregon, Washington and Alaska and distribution outlets in seven western states.

"That network will give Utah consumers more access to different kinds of seafood," Whitney said. "the merger also means that Booth Fisheries' local emphasis on frozen seafood in Utah will be combined with Idaho Fish's expertise with fresh fish, giving retail and wholesale consumers in utah greater access to both."

"People will see that they don't need to go to Fisherman's Wharf to get great seafood. It's right here," said John Sands, for general manager at Booth and newly appointed director of procurement for Ocean Pride/Salt Lake.

Booth Fisheries was established in Salt Lake in 1901 and was a division of Booth Corp.

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