For 20 years, Randy Hartnell fished for salmon in Alaska, and in 2001 he founded a company in Whatcom County that delivers wild-caught fish to restaurants and homes all across the country.
The benefits of wild-caught salmon are well documented—leaner and more nutritious—but sourcing wild-caught fish can be difficult. Even specialty grocers rarely carry it. But Hartnell knew where to get it, and he worked out a way to deliver it cost-effectively, so he founded Vital Choice to do just that.
With its headquarters here Whatcom County, Vital Choice has easy access to both the supply in the wild waters of Alaska and the customers in the lower forty-eight states.
In 2013, Vital Choice was named the Small Business of the Year by the Whatcom Business Alliance and they have only expanded their offerings since. Now their offerings also include premium shellfish, and grass-fed bison and beef.