This Whatcom County seafood company acquired by firm with national online sales
A Whatcom County company known for its seafood sustainability efforts will have more national exposure after being acquired by a gift company.
1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. announced in a news release that it has purchased Vital Choice, which sells wild-caught seafood and sustainably farmed shellfish, pasture-raised meat, organic foods and marine-source nutritional supplements. Terms of the deal were not announced.
Vital Choice joins a host of acquisitions 1-800-Flowers.com has made in recent years, transforming a website known for flower delivery to one that has more than a dozen specialty gift brands for customers to choose from, said Kathleen Waugh, vice president of enterprise public relations for the company.
“We’ve essentially doubled the size of our business over the past three years — and expect to continue to drive sustainable, long-term revenue growth with our leadership positions in floral and gifts, as well as gourmet foods and personalized items,” Waugh said in an email.
Waugh said Vital Choice will benefit from the company’s e-commerce platform and customers will continue to have the same products and experience.
Vital Choice, which has 40 employees and has warehouse operations in Ferndale, was founded in 2001 by Randy and Carla Hartnell. In an email, Randy Hartnell said they are retiring and are happy with the buyer they found.
“We’re happy to hand ‘our baby’ off to such an experienced, resourceful, capable partner with a proven track record of offering great products and customers service,” Hartnell said.
Hartnell said customers shouldn’t see many changes right away. As the company becomes more integrated with 1-800-Flowers.com, he expects customers to see a broad range of new product options, especially in the area of gifting. That could mean more combination options, such as seafood and wine or fresh fruit, for example.
Hartnell added that longtime business partner Dave Hamburg will stay at Vital Choice as a manager, helping keep the high product standards, corporate values and health and sustainability mission in place.
“We believe Vital Choice’s future is more secure than ever, which can’t help but benefit its employees, customers, suppliers and service providers,” Hartnell said.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
