Kingfish founder joins redfish start-up as Chairman
US fish farming start-up Pine Island Redfish has appointed Ohad Maiman, founder and former CEO of The Kingfish Company as Chairman of the Board.
The move reunites Pine Island founder Megan Sorby – who was formerly Operations Manager with Kingfish Maine – with her former boss.
Maiman, an Israeli financier, founded The Kingfish Company in 2015, steering the business through a series of fundraising exercises and establishing a RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) facility for yellowtail kingfish in the Netherlands. He also oversaw the development of the company’s US arm, Kingfish Maine, which has already produced a trial harvest and plans to produce 8,000 tonnes annually once it reaches its full capability.
Pine Island Redfish has been set up to grow redfish, otherwise known as red drum, at a RAS facility in Florida. The company says the site is fully permitted for aquaculture production.
Maiman said: “Pine Island Redfish meets the critical trifecta for a strong business case in land based farming: a high value species, with limited local availability, and proven to be viable for RAS farming.
“Having worked closely with Megan Sorby for over three years as she developed Kingfish Maine, I am confident of her exceptional managerial and problem-solving skills, and her ability to build Pine Island Redfish into a successful land-based farming company.”
Megan Sorby
Founder and CEO of Pine Island Redfish, Megan Sorby, said: “Working with the Kingfish Maine team was a valuable experience, and part of that was the opportunity to collaborate with, learn from, and work together with Ohad. His experience and unique perspective on the sector are a perfect match with the development and sustainable mission of Pine Island Redfish.
“We have the key pieces in place to be successful: a high value species limited in domestic supply, a fully permitted site with ongoing facility design, and an experienced operations and advisory group ready to execute. As Chair of our Board, Ohad will contribute his vast industry knowledge and experience through the upcoming growth phases of our company.”
