Tampa Maid Foods

What Tampa Maid Foods does

Tampa Maid Foods is a privately held, Lakeland, Florida-based frozen-food processor founded in 1974 that manufactures value-added coated seafood and breaded vegetable products for U.S. foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools) and retail grocery and club store channels. The company operates a single U.S. processing facility certified to BRC, AIB, and HACCP standards, plus a separate R&D and culinary facility — the George Watkins Innovation Center opened in Fall 2019 — and runs six proprietary and licensed sub-brands (HARVEST CREATIONS®, OCEAN INNOVATIONS®, MARINER JACK®, CAP'N JOE®, ShrimpJammers®, and the exclusively licensed Margaritaville® Seafood) covering 32+ SKUs across breaded shrimp, scallops, calamari, grouper, stuffed crabs, and breaded vegetables. Core technical differentiation centers on two proprietary coating systems — Dipt'n Dusted® (light home-style batter and seasoned flour) and CRUNCH KEEPER® (an exclusive panko coating engineered for extended hold times and crispiness) — applied across the product line.

The company generates revenue by sourcing raw seafood (including domestic wild-caught Key West pink shrimp via the 2006-acquired Cox's Wholesale Seafood subsidiary) and vegetables, applying its coating technologies, and selling the finished IQF products through broadline and specialty foodservice distributors and through retail grocery and club store distributors nationwide. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; products are sold in case quantities and supported by rebate programs across multiple brands (e.g., up to $100 savings on HARVEST CREATIONS® cases and $5 off select OCEAN INNOVATIONS® and MARINER JACK® cases in 2026). Tampa Maid also leverages ingredient-brand co-branding partnerships — most notably LANDSHARK® Lager in beer-battered shrimp and TABASCO® sauce in breaded cauliflower — to support both foodservice and retail positioning. The business is wholly owned by Watkins Associated Industries, a third-generation family-controlled diversified U.S. conglomerate (trucking, food processing, building materials, real estate), which has supported Tampa Maid's growth through a series of acquisitions (Bayou Foods in 1987, Bee Gee Shrimp in 1997, Cox's Wholesale Seafood in 2006) and brand licenses (Margaritaville® in 2008).

Name

Tampa Maid Foods

Legal name

Tampa Maid Foods

Website

https://tampamaid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tampa Maid Foods is a Lakeland, Florida-based frozen-food processor founded in 1974 that manufactures value-added coated seafood and breaded vegetable products under proprietary and licensed brands for U.S. foodservice operators and retail grocery and club store channels, and is owned by Watkins Associated Industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Seafood and Value-Added Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Breaded/Battered & Fried Seafood Products (Frozen Convenience) (AFANADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAC), Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG), Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAG), Breaded & Battered Seafood (Fish Sticks, Nuggets, Cutlets) (AFANALAB)

Keywords

• Value-added seafood
• Coated frozen foods
• Foodservice distribution
• Breaded vegetables
• Private label seafood

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Value-Added Food Products: Tampa Maid Foods generates revenue by sourcing, processing, and marketing high-quality value-added frozen food products including coated seafood and vegetables to foodservice and retail markets. Revenue comes from product sales through distributors and direct relationships with grocery stores, club stores, and foodservice operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tampa Maid Foods sources, processes, and markets value-added frozen seafood and breaded vegetable products through proprietary coating systems (Dipt'n Dusted® and CRUNCH KEEPER®) under its own brands (HARVEST CREATIONS®, OCEAN INNOVATIONS®, MARINER JACK®, CAP'N JOE®, ShrimpJammers®) and the exclusively licensed Margaritaville® Seafood brand. The company sells finished frozen food products in case quantities to foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools) and to retail grocery and club stores nationwide, with freezer-to-fryer convenience designed for commercial kitchen use.

Product overview

Tampa Maid Foods is a frozen food processing company offering a diversified portfolio of branded seafood and vegetable products. The company operates with six primary sub-brands: HARVEST CREATIONS® (farm-fresh breaded vegetables), OCEAN INNOVATIONS® (coated seafood), MARINER JACK® (premium shrimp), CAP'N JOE® (crab specialties), ShrimpJammers® (cheese-stuffed shrimp), and Margaritaville® Seafood (licensed island-inspired shrimp). Products span breaded mushrooms, fried green tomatoes, pickle chips, cauliflower, green beans, shrimp varieties, calamari, scallops, stuffed crabs, and specialty coated items. The company utilizes proprietary coating technologies including Dipt'n Dusted® and CRUNCH KEEPER® systems. Products serve foodservice operators and retail/clubs channels, with key partnerships including LANDSHARK® Lager for beer battered shrimp and TABASCO® for cauliflower.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HARVEST CREATIONS® Signature brand of farm-fresh breaded vegetable products including mushrooms, tomatoes, pickles, cauliflower, green beans, and jalapeño items. Utilizes proprietary Dipt'n Dusted® coating system and CRUNCH KEEPER® panko coating technology for freezer-to-fryer convenience. Targeted at both foodservice operators and retail/grocery channels.
• OCEAN INNOVATIONS® Seafood brand offering breaded and coated seafood products including shrimp, scallops, calamari, and grouper tenders in proprietary coatings. Products are designed for foodservice and retail applications with multiple breading formulations and pack sizes.
• MARINER JACK® Premium shrimp brand offering fresh-tasting seafood in tasty coatings including beer battered, coconut, scampi, popcorn, and gourmet dusted varieties. Features LandShark® Lager partnership for beer-battered products. Targeted at foodservice operators and retail.
• CAP'N JOE® Crab specialty brand offering stuffed crabs with natural crab shells hand-filled with seafood blend including crisp vegetables, breadcrumbs, and zesty spices. Brand was acquired from Bayou Foods in 1987 and is offered tray-packed or individually wrapped for bake, fry, or microwave preparation.
• ShrimpJammers® Premium butterfly tail-on shrimp topped with creamy cheese, then coated with breading that cooks up light and crunchy. Available in Monterey Jack Cheese and Jalapeño & Cheese varieties. Targeted at foodservice operators.
• Margaritaville® Seafood Exclusively licensed brand bringing island-inspired shrimp products including Coconut Shrimp, Island Lime Shrimp, Jammin' Jerk Shrimp, Volcano Shrimp, and multiple other flavor varieties to retail grocery and club store channels nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Freezer to fryer preparation with no fuss, no waste
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MargaritavillecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2008Tampa Maid became the exclusive licensee for Margaritaville brand seafood in 2008. The company sources, processes and markets Margaritaville branded seafood products to retail groceries and club stores nationwide. This is a core partnership providing brand recognition in the retail channel.
• Cox's Wholesale SeafoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006In 2006, Tampa Maid acquired Cox's Wholesale Seafood, an esteemed supplier of domestic wild-caught Key West pink shrimp to retail and foodservice markets. The companies work together under common ownership offering both domestically sourced and imported seafood offerings.
• Ocean TrustminorOthersOcean Trust is recognized as a premier organization for understanding, maintaining and restoring the world's fisheries. Tampa Maid is a strong supporter working to better understand the status of source fisheries and ensure protection and sustainability of ocean-caught and aquaculture seafood.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group: Parent of Chicken of the Sea and other seafood brands; large-scale global seafood processor competing across value-added, breaded, and frozen seafood categories.
• Rich Products Corporation: Large frozen specialty food manufacturer (seafood, bakery, desserts) — broader portfolio but overlapping frozen value-added foodservice offerings and retail frozen appetizers.
• Lamb Weston: Global frozen foods giant with deep foodservice penetration; overlapping frozen appetizer/side categories relevant to Harvest Creations® expansion.
• Maruha Nichiro: One of the world's largest seafood companies; broad portfolio of frozen and value-added seafood that overlaps with Tampa Maid's product set in foodservice and retail.

Emerging players

• Inventure Foods (Frozen Specialty Brands): Frozen snacks and appetizers (including seafood and vegetable coated items) for retail; partial overlap with Harvest Creations® and seafood appetizer SKUs.

Direct peers

• High Liner Foods: North American value-added frozen seafood producer serving foodservice and retail with coated, breaded, and prepared seafood — closest direct competitor by product mix and channel.
• Trident Seafoods: Vertically-integrated frozen seafood processor with broad breaded/battered product lines serving foodservice and retail; overlapping core competency in coated seafood.
• SeaPak: Frozen breaded/battered shrimp and seafood brand sold through foodservice and retail; competes head-to-head with Ocean Innovations® and Mariner Jack® in coated shrimp and fried seafood categories.
• Ocean Garden Products: Mexican-origin frozen shrimp and seafood processor with value-added breaded lines; comparable in shrimp-heavy frozen prepared seafood for foodservice and retail.
• Icelandic Group / Icelandic Seafood: Frozen value-added seafood (breaded fish, fish portions) for foodservice and retail — strong product overlap with Tampa Maid's coated fish and breaded seafood lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TampaMaidFoods

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tampa Maid Foods