07/15/2026
▪️▪️▪️COMPANY PROFILE ▪️▪️▪️
-Hi everyone. My name is Chris and I’m the the owner/operator/head fishmonger here at Seafood Express in Springfield MO. I would like to share some background info on my company and how I got started doing this whole seafood thing. I post this at least once a year and there's no better time than now, I suppose.
-For those of you who are new to our page and have never purchased from us, or for those of you just curious and/or need a refresher, please read this and share with your fellow seafood connoisseurs.
-I sincerely thank you for your continued business over the years and am forever grateful that the Springfield area has been receptive to this concept. It's not always been easy, but we continue to see steady growth every year and we owe it all to you guys!!
-About me:
With a career in the food and restaurant industry spanning 25 years and counting, this is definitely a passion and lifestyle for me not just a job. My experience includes cooking and managing at half a dozen restaurants in multiple states, traveling the country as a food broker for several years, then eventually transitioning into the seafood, proteins & catering marketplace in the Springfield MO area. My primary focus is on sustainably harvested wild-caught USA seafood, Cajun products, and locally grown meats. My love for all things food, travel to tropical coastal areas, scuba diving, and deep sea fishing, has led me into this ever rewarding career in the seafood industry.
-How it started:
In the Fall of 2003, laid off from a factory mechanic job, I took a vacation to Florida to visit a friend that was working on a shrimp boat. During that trip I fell in love with the seafood industry, spending time working on the shrimp boat with my friend and learning first hand knowledge of the process. I also established contacts with fisheries and processors up and down the Emerald Coast, also known as the Panhandle or the Redneck Riviera. As demand in Missouri grew for fresh seafood, I traveled to other parts of the Gulf, building relationships with suppliers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and all along the Eastern Seaboard, meeting with as many fisherman, shrimpers, and crabbers as I could. I've made it a point to visit firsthand (at least once), most of the facilities I buy products from. I've made 100's of trips over the years to the Gulf of Mexico buying fresh seafood. Some of the more frequented areas I've traveled to purchasing products are: Galveston TX, Gulfport/Biloxi MS, New Orleans LA, Bon Secour Bay AL, and Port St Joe & Pensacola FL, just name a few. Seafood Express now also has suppliers in Hawaii, Alaska, the West Coast, Canada and Mexico that ship directly to us.
-Now keep in mind, this is long before the days of social media and online marketing. I had to canvass neighborhoods cold calling people and restaurants to build up clientele. We all have it so easy now days with the access of cell phones and social media.
I then also started doing truckload sales all across the Midwest, selling fresh and frozen seafood and meats. Then around 2010-11, I made my way into some local farmers markets. From 2011-2018 I was doing 3-4 markets a week. That really helped grow the business in the Springfield/Branson area. I grew the operation to several delivery vehicles with several employees. Around 2018-20, my father's battle with cancer was getting worse, and then COVID shut everything down, so I decided to downsize some and focus on more important things than growing the business. As in life, all things pass and we continue on.
-Where we are now:
I've had a warehouse in Springfield for over 15 years, a food truck, catering company and a commercial kitchen for many years as well. The new retail brick and mortar store opened two years back and is doing good sales. We've hired many new faces and have extended our delivery fleet to 4 vehicles. We host several large seafood festivals around the Springfield area and have also partnered up with MaMa Jean's Natural Market for several years offering “Mama's Fresh Fish Club". A bi-weekly fresh fish club for their customers.
-What started out as just a hobby making runs to the Gulf of Mexico to bring back fresh seafood for my friends and family, has transitioned into the area's longest running and most trusted seafood supplier 20 yrs and counting!!
-By the numbers:
• To date we have sold over 4.5 million Ibs. of seafood and meats in 16 states.
•We receive 4-5 shipments of product a week. We receive those products via UPS, FedEX, Delta Cargo, dry and refrigerated trucking shipments, as well as making weekly trips down south using our own refrigerated trucks.
•We sell retail, wholesale, and have a busy catering division. We deal with dozens of restaurants and grocery stores in the Springfield, Branson and Joplin area, as well as many local private chefs and caterers.
• We run several delivery trucks Monday-Sat and cover a 75 mile radius of Springfield MO. We deliver to people's homes, restaurants and grocery stores.
⚫️Certifications, Licenses, & Awards⚫️
• FDA inspected & approved
• USDA inspected & approved
• Greene County Health Dept inspected & approved
• Christian County Health Dept inspected & approved
• HACCP certified
• ServeSafe certified
•Louisiana Dept of Fish & Wildlife permit
•Texas Park & Wildlife permit
• Certified BBQ Judge (SLBS)
• Won several awards for local cooking competitions
• 417 MAGAZINE "Best of" winner
• Northside Betterment Association award winner
• Member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program
• Fresh from Florida seafood certified
• Louisiana Seafood Promotional &
Marketing Board / Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Certified Training in:
-Harvesting
-Tender Operations
-Processing
-Distribution
-Storage
-Marketing
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Thanks for taking the time to learn about our business. We appreciate each and every one of you and your business does not go unnoticed.
“ONE BITE AND YOU’RE HOOKED!!”
