Shrimp story goes viral

The recent announcement of the tru Shrimp company to develop a “strategic partnership” with the Schwan’s Company is being hailed by the firm’s CEO Michael Ziebell as a, “very exciting day.”

Last week at KB’s in Ghent, Ziebell told a yearly meeting of the Farm Bureau, “The Schwan’s Company investment completes the capitol footing of tru Shrimp and fuels us to full speed ahead.”

The tru Shrimp Company, an affiliate of Ralco, is developing a business that will provide the world with safe, natural and abundant shrimp.

Recently, tru Shrimp was featured in the Wall Street Journal, a “first” for me, said Ziebell, “And something I couldn’t have imagined.” On top of that, he recently received a call from the “Buyer” from Sam’s Club.

“That’s something that doesn’t happen. Usually you’re trying to get in to the buyer … but he called me,” the excited Ziebell said. tru shrimp, which is developing its main plant in Balaton, with announced “harbors” in Luverne and Marshall, “Is out to build the largest aqua shrimp production in the United States.”

The idea that spawned the tru Shrimp company into operation was the thought, “Where will the food come from 10 years from now?” “We don’t have to teach Americans to eat shrimp,” Ziebell said.

“Each American consumes five pounds of shrimp per year, so the figures are staggering,” said Ziebell. “It’s an industry with a lot of growth in it,” he added.

Both Ralco and Schwan’s roots are in Marshall and tru Shrimp gives the two companies a chance to work together for the first time. The initial point of cooperation between the two companies will be the renovation of available manufacturing space owned by Schwan’s in Marshall.

The space will be converted into the first shrimp-processing facility located in Marshall’s Industrial Park. It will house processing packaging of shrimp.

tru Shrimp will also locate a shrimp hatchery (or harbor) in Marshall.

The company has been developing a system that will mechanically control the habitat of the shrimp industry. “We will grow shrimp at an unprecedented rate,” Ziebell predicted.

Through research and development of this new method of shrimp production, Ziebell said, “Nobody knows more about shrimp in 12 inches of water than we do.”

Ralco’s desire to move ahead with tru Shrimp and new technology in the field of shrimp production was something Ziebell called, “A marriage made in heaven.”

By controlling the nutrition and habitat to he shrimp, “We’re able to control the entire food chain.”

The research and development continues and so will construction. The main office and research area in Balaton will give way to a new plant and the “harbors” in Luverne and Marshall will shift production into full gear.

Ziebell says this will have “global” impact on an industry that once was riddled with disease and production problems.

The company will eventually build a plant in Germany, with one goal.

“Our focus is to supply safe and abundant food,” said Ziebell.