Celebrating 75 years with Troutlodge
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Troutlodge, the world’s leading producer of eyed trout eggs. As an anniversary that few companies have the opportunity to celebrate, we are proud of all the accomplishments achieved throughout our time in the industry. In operation since 1945, specializing in rainbow trout eggs, Troutlodge offers all-female and triploid eggs and has grown to become the Pacific Northwest's leading supplier of live rainbow trout. At the heart of Troutlodge are our valued clients and partners, and we pride ourselves on serving them with the highest-quality products and services.
We want to take this opportunity to reflect on how it all started as we look forward to a bright future and another 75 remarkable years of trout breeding together. To celebrate this occasion, we are hearing from industry leaders, partners, clients and team members of Troutlodge to reflect on this anniversary and the share some of the milestones achieved together along the way.
Every month we will highlight a new feature article below, sharing memories about involvement, experiences, and successes throughout the years.
Growing with the flow
As we look back into the early years of Troutlodge, we can see the developments and growth the company has made. Throughout the years, many innovations have taken place within the trout industry. Tom Elliot, VP of Incubation and Safety, knows these developments best, as he has been working for Troutlodge for over 40 years. Originally from Ohio, Tom moved to Minnesota to pursue degrees in both Biology and Botany. After completing his education, he ventured to Washington for a change of pace and found a Labtech position at Troutlodge shortly after.
Beginning his role in 1980, working in the ponds, Tom was a natural working with aquaculture and was asked to move to a role in incubation and hatching. Responsible for placing, incubating and processing all the eggs at the facility, 40 years later Tom’s role has evolved dramatically. He now oversees managing a team of workers in incubation operations which involves taking care of all eggs coming into incubation, processing, and shipping worldwide.
Reminiscing upon the early years of Troutlodge and the expansion that has since happened, Tom recalls, “When I first started, I was processing around 250 million, and now we’ve almost doubled the amount of eggs we are putting through. Now, I can proudly say I’ve processed billions of eggs.” With Troutlodge growing operations ever since to include more ponds, hatcheries, and infrastructures, our capacity and ability to raise more fish and eggs has more than tripled.
“Automation has helped us progress and has changed the course of fish farming. With current technology there are machines that can help assist in processing and counting eggs, whereas in the past this was all done manually.” Not only, has automation improved throughout the years but also the genetics we provide are also of superior quality. From developments made through genetic improvements we are able to select the best fish for future generations.
Dedicated to continuous growth and improvements, Troutlodge has come a long way on the science side of breeding. With improved nutrition and feed quality combined with fish who are able to utilize the feed better, we can produce more eggs with fewer resources. Helping to feed the world in a more sustainable way.
Although the company has more than doubled in size since Tom was hired in 1980, Troutlodge is unique in the way it still feels like a small, family owned business. An aspect founder Ed McCleary would be proud to hear. Having every employee carry on the high quality standards of Troutlodge ensures a successful future. Tom says, “You don’t have to be the strongest or smartest to be successful in fish farming. Success comes from hard work, dedication and responsibility. It’s important to have a team of people who want to learn and do the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
With many innovations and developments leading Troutlodge to the success achieved today, it’s humbling to remember the roots where we began. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Troutlodge we are grateful for the past and look forward to playing a significant role towards creating a brighter future for the trout industry.
By celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Troutlodge we are celebrating the dedication and hard work of the company but also the lasting relations of the partnerships we have made within the industry. Through sustainable animal breeding and world-class collaboration, we aim to continue contributing to the growth of the trout farming industry.
With a growing population and demand for trout increasing, we believe in partnering for the cause and coming together to achieve greater success for the industry. Over the years we have also grown with our clients and have been fortunate to align with wonderful partnerships. We acknowledge the support we have received through our years in the industry and we want to thank all of our partners, customers and team members who continue to support us. As we celebrate this milestone, the future of sustainable animal breeding looks so bright and we can’t wait to continue this journey, together.
Hear what some of our clients have to say through testimonials and see some of the benefits to working with Troutlodge.
On this very special day, on behalf of the company Trucsady Perú we want to send you our most sincere congratulations on your 75th anniversary; also, highlight the wonderful work that Troutlodge have been doing year after year and we appreciate all the help and support Troutlodge have given us.
“We are proud to be part of this great, successful team, not only because of the professional and work bond, but also because of the trust and relationship built during these years between Troutlodge and Coraqua Peru. We are very grateful for the friendly, personal and kind treatment. Sending our most sincere greetings for your 75 years of transcendence from the Coraqua Peru family!”
“We wish the entire Troutlodge family a happy anniversary. It is a huge task to reach 75 years. Troutlodge has built and maintained not only a trajectory but a robust story. A story of which Truchas Surala has been able to be a part for 10 years. Our philosophy has always been to surround ourselves with the best to be even better and the support of Troutlodge has been fundamental to the professional development of all of us and the success of our company.”