The company was founded by the late Howard Shadbolt in 1960 and had its beginnings as a small fish and chip shop in the Christchurch suburb of Linwood in 1956. Since that time, Independent Fisheries Limited has grown into one of New Zealand's major privately-owned fish processing companies, employing approx. 400 staff and harvesting in excess of 30,000 tonnes of fish annually.
1967 saw the establishment of the present-day site on the Bamford Industrial Estate at Woolston and in 1974, the company made the decision to concentrate on the manufacture of value-added fast foods. This move led to the set-up of a network of national distributors, aimed at further developing retail and food-service markets throughout New Zealand.
The company's first trawler was purchased by Howard Shadbolt in 1975 and a further 4 trawlers were added to the fleet through until 1991. Charter operations with foreign fishing companies commenced in 1986 and these, along with the Independent 1, a state-of-the-art factory freezer trawler commissioned in 1997, added to the company's strength and success.
The Woolston site has undergone several major redevelopments since those early years to keep pace with ever-increasing demands. Head Office management, marketing and administrative personnel operate on site, enabling them to work closely with the production and processing divisions to develop product ranges for national and export markets. The company has also gained ISO & HACCP accreditation and EU approval.
A 3,000 tonne coolstore opened in 1992 at the Port of Lyttelton and a 5000 metric tonne coldstore at the Woolston plant, is utilised by both the company and other users for the storage of frozen-at-sea product. Shadbolt House in Lyttelton was purchased in 1995 to accommodate the company's Fleet Department,
Independent Fisheries Limited has, since its early days, displayed a total commitment to quality and excellence in its products, processing facilities and customer relationships. The company will continue this commitment well into the new millennium.
Get Flash Player to see this player.
