Bornstein Seafoods to Close Bellingham Plant Operations

Bornstein Seafoods to Close Bellingham Operations

Local seafood processor Bornstein Seafoods, a long-time tenant of the waterfront in Bellingham, announced on Friday, March 22, 2024, it will close its operations in Bellingham in the next few months. The Bornstein family has owned and operated the Bellingham processing plant continuously since 1934. 

“Three generations of Bornsteins have guided operations in Bellingham and on the Oregon Coast in Astoria, Warrenton and Newport” said local commercial fisherman and former Bornstein employee, Pete Granger. "From the founder, Myer, his son Jay, and now Jay’s sons, Colin, Andrew, and Kyle, the Bornsteins have navigated tremendous changes in the seafood industry.”

In addition, he added, “All along the way, they have been a tremendous asset to the Bellingham community. Along with the many loyal employees who have worked for the Bornsteins for 30 and 40 years, they have donated significantly to many initiatives and programs in Bellingham.  The Bornsteins provided a major donation to the Bellingham Technical College Perry Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture building campaign a few years ago as well as leadership and financial support for Bellingham SeaFeast.” Jay, a founding member of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County now representing over 140 companies on the Bellingham and Blaine waterfronts, provided important foundational leadership direction.

The company has also closed its plant in Newport, Oregon and will consolidate operations in Warrenton and Astoria, Oregon. While the Bornstein Seafoods Bellingham plant hasn’t processed local salmon, crab, or groundfish from the Washington coast for several years, it had added value-added processing capacity and operations in its processing plant at 1001 Hilton Avenue. Bornstein Seafoods management is committed to returning to their core operational focus – primary and secondary processing of coastal seafood.

Also, during this difficult time, Bornstein Seafoods is committed to working hard to find employment opportunities for its current workers. 

While the Bornstein Seafoods situation is unique to them, these are difficult times for the local and national seafood industry as competition is fierce from low-cost imports and a downturn in seafood consumption in the US domestic marketplace. Other seafood companies such as Trident Seafoods, headquartered in Seattle and the largest US seafood processing company, also announced plant closings in Alaska this winter. Trident also has a processing operation in Bellingham.