CSR Is Helping Chicken of the Sea Differentiate Itself — and Make a Difference
As the new Satell Institute member puts down roots in Pittsburgh, its new corporate home, sustainability and supporting the community are key parts of its business strategy.
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In the world of consumer packaged goods, Chicken of the Sea — which has been around for more than 100 years — is nothing less than an iconic brand. But having a storied history doesn’t mean the organization doesn’t deal with change. One of the biggest happened within the last two years, as the company (which is owned by multinational corporation Thai Union Group) formally made Pittsburgh its corporate hub.
How is Chicken of the Sea International, as it's formally known, establishing a presence in the Steel City? One way is through a robust commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. That includes strong efforts in sustainability, philanthropy, and volunteerism, as well as a new membership in the Satell Institute.
In this interview, Andy Mecs — a Pittsburgh native who joined the company in 2021 and became president in 2024 — talks about the array of ways CSR is crucial to Chicken of the Sea's strategy, and why joining the Satell Institute was a perfect fit.
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Chicken of the Sea International is…
…a company that’s over 100 years old. We’re headquartered here in Pittsburgh. We own several brands, including Chicken of the Sea; Genova, which is premium tuna and olive oil; and King Oscar, which is premium sardines, salmon, and mackerel. Our parent company is Thai Union, a multinational company that owns big brands all over the world.
Our business…
…has been pretty strong here for the past four years. We're growing our top line, we're growing our bottom line. We are the number-one brand in shelf-stable salmon, sardines, premium tuna, and olive oil. Our core tuna products are a little behind that. We’re the number-three player, and that's why I'm here: to innovate and find ways to keep growing the business. We have a lot of plans in the pipeline.
We've been in Pittsburgh…
…for less than two years. We had been a West Coast company, and during the pandemic we went through the Great Resignation. Every time someone resigned, I would hire someone in Pittsburgh because we have a lot of great consumer packaged goods talent here. So we're going to keep doing that. We're going to keep growing here.
When it comes to CSR...
… our parent company, Thai Union, has a program called Sea Change, which is all about sustainability. We really believe in being the most socially responsible out there.
On the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, we're the number-one most sustainable food company. We are conscious of sustainable practices and procurement, and also conscious of how we treat all of our internal and external stakeholders.
I always tell people the two things that set our company apart are innovation and Sea Change. Around the globe our companies in each country are making a difference — feeding people, cleaning up debris and discarded fishing gear in waterways, all sorts of things.
When it comes to our local involvement…
… we’re involved in a lot of efforts. And really, we're making people aware that we are here, that we are a hometown company now, that we care about what's happening here, that we care about our employees and their families and our neighbors.
We've been one of the primary sponsors for the American Diabetes Association for the past couple years. We support Casey's Clubhouse and Miracle League Baseball. We've been working with food banks, and with the Pittsburgh Zoo, which is how we ended up as a member of the Satellite Institute. We've signed up for a multi-year commitment with them.
One of the things we’re doing with the Pittsburgh Zoo…
… is a big sea turtle — a piece of art that was created out of discarded fishing gear. It's hanging now inside the aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo, with a story accompanying it about how we need to protect our oceans. It's sponsored by Chicken of the Sea, and it's right next to the big tank where the sea turtles are swimming around.
I think these sorts of messages resonate with people in the community. Hopefully they'll remember that it's the mermaid and it's Chicken and Sea, and they'll support our company.
Giving back to the community has also helped us…
… with recruitment and retention. We've been able to recruit a really great team, and we have a culture that everybody really enjoys. In the almost-two years that we’ve been here, we've had zero voluntary attrition. I mean, zero percent.
CSR has also made a difference…
…when it comes to corporate partnerships. We’re now partnering with McCormick as we launch all of our tuna pouches or packets. I talked to them for a number of years, and they were never interested in doing a partnership because they were worried about some of the negative issues around the seafood industry — labor practices and sustainability and the health of the oceans. But we were able to show them all the things we’re doing with Sea Change when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility practices. They said, we like what you're doing, and they signed up. So that's a big deal.
I first heard about the Satell Institute…
…when we got involved with the American Diabetes Association. I heard about the opportunities for networking and other things. When we started doing work with the Pittsburgh Zoo, they said that the Satell Institute was something they’d really like to be part of, and they were hoping we could sponsor them.
So we did, and here we are. We're really happy to be involved in it.
Being part of the Satell Institute…
…really aligns with so many of the things we’re doing. We've done a lot of work here over the past couple years to change this company, to improve the culture, to establish ourselves locally, to rebrand. The innovation is here. The energy is here. We're trying to do the right things all the way around, and joining Satell is part of that.
Note: Andy Mecs will be featured on Our Region’s Business on November 23rd, talking about his involvement with the Satell Institute.
