Maine Lobster

What Maine Lobster does

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is a nonprofit industry marketing organization founded in 2012 and headquartered at 2 Union Street, Suite 204, Portland, Maine. It does not sell lobster directly; instead, it functions as the marketing and promotional arm of a network of approximately 5,600 independent lobstermen, along with the dealers, co-operatives, restaurants, and tourism operators that comprise the Maine lobster value chain. Its mission centers on promoting Maine Lobster as the "sweetest lobster on Earth" through storytelling, sustainability messaging, recipe and culinary content, and curated dining and tourism experiences. Underlying capabilities are non-technical: brand stewardship, content production (including the "Sustainability At Work" video series), event activation such as the Maine Lobster Tour in Chicago, Dallas, and Miami, and a supplier directory that routes demand to over 100 member businesses.

The product surface MLMC actively markets includes live Maine Lobster (hard shell and new shell in multiple sizes), lobster meat (claw, knuckle, and tail), lobster tails, ready-to-eat dishes (lobster rolls, bisque, chowder, mac and cheese, pot pie, lobster stew), DIY lobster roll kits, lobster boat tours, and the multi-city Maine Lobster Tour experience. Member suppliers ship globally using advanced processing and freezing technologies (gas/Nitro, brine, ultra-high-pressure processing) and sell through DTC storefronts, restaurant and foodservice channels, and national grocery and retail partnerships.

MLMC's business model is freemium/community-led and member-funded. It does not collect direct revenue from product sales; instead, it provides free marketing tools, campaigns, events, and industry support funded through its member ecosystem. Pricing varies by member business and product form. The commercial moat rests on regulatory protections (Maine's limited-entry, owner-operator fishery), provenance branding (400+ years of continuous harvest, 80% U.S. supply share, $1B annual contribution to the Maine economy), and a tightly integrated industry ecosystem spanning lobstermen, scientists, and the Maine State Legislature.

Name

Maine Lobster

Legal name

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

Website

https://lobsterfrommaine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is a nonprofit marketing organization promoting Maine lobster on behalf of 5,600 independent lobstermen, dealers, co-operatives, restaurants, and tour operators through branding, content, and curated dining and tourism experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Industry Marketing Services

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Shellfish Fishing (114112)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Shellfish Wholesale (Crustaceans & Mollusks) (AFAIADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fishing & Spearfishing Charters (recreational/eco-managed) (THAAAIAJ), Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

Keywords

• Maine lobster products
• Fishery trade association
• Lobster supplier directory
• Seafood industry marketing
• Sustainable seafood supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketing and Promotion Services: The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative operates as a non-profit marketing organization that provides free marketing tools, launches campaigns, and hosts events to support Maine lobstermen, dealers, suppliers, and restaurants. Revenue is not generated directly from product sales but through supporting the broader Maine lobster industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is a nonprofit industry marketing organization that promotes Maine Lobster products and supports the state's lobster fishery. It provides free marketing tools, campaigns, events, and content for 5,600 lobstermen, dealers, suppliers, and restaurants, and connects consumers with member businesses through a supplier directory and curated experiences. The organization does not sell lobster directly but acts as the collective marketing arm of the Maine lobster industry.

Product overview

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is a marketing organization that promotes Maine Lobster products and the lobster fishery industry. The organization does not sell products directly but connects consumers with a network of Maine lobster suppliers, dealers, and restaurants. The product portfolio includes live Maine Lobster (available in hard shell and new shell varieties), lobster meat (claw, knuckle, and tail cuts in raw or cooked, fresh or frozen forms), lobster tails, and ready-to-eat dishes such as lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, bisque, chowder, and lobster stew. MLMC also offers experiential services including Lobster Boat Tours in Maine and the Maine Lobster Tour dining experience in Chicago, Dallas, and Miami. The organization provides a supplier directory to connect buyers with industry partners across the distribution chain (live, wholesale, and ready-eat product types).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Maine Lobster Fresh, live Maine Lobster shipped directly from Maine harbors through member suppliers, available in various sizes (1 lb, 1.25 lb, 1.5 lb, 2 lb, 2.5 lb) and types (hard shell and new shell).
• Lobster Meat (Claw, Knuckle, and Tail) Picked lobster meat available raw or cooked, fresh or frozen, including claw and knuckle meat, tail meat, and various cuts, sold through member suppliers.
• Lobster Tails Whole lobster tails available shell-on, split, or shucked, sold fresh or frozen for various culinary applications through member suppliers.
• Ready-to-Eat Lobster Dishes Prepared lobster products including lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, lobster bisque, lobster chowder, lobster pot pie, and lobster stew, offered through member suppliers and restaurants.
• Lobster Roll Kits DIY lobster roll kits containing lobster meat, buns, and accoutrements for home preparation of classic Maine-style lobster rolls.
• Maine Lobster Tour Curated dining tour featuring Maine Lobster at local restaurants in Chicago, Dallas, and Miami, showcasing authentic Maine Lobster experiences in cities outside of Maine in partnership with local food influencers.
• Lobster Boat Tours Guided tours on lobster boats departing from various Maine coastal locations (Portland, Bar Harbor, Bailey Island, Harpswell, Gouldsboro), offering educational experiences about lobster harvesting and Maine's scenic coastline.
• Supplier Directory Online directory of Maine Lobster suppliers, dealers, co-operatives, and restaurants, used by consumers and trade buyers to find sources for live lobster, lobster products, and dine-in experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of U.S. lobster supply comes from Maine
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tenants Harbor Fisherman's Co-opcoreOthersThe MLMC supports and works with lobster co-operatives like the Tenants Harbor Fisherman's Co-op, where lobstermen collectively sell their catch. Co-ops buy from individual fishermen who are members and sell to processors or dealers.
• Scientists and Marine BiologistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine lobstermen have partnered with scientists and marine biologists for decades to conserve Maine's waters and ensure sustainable fishing practices. This partnership has led to numerous conservation laws and best practices.
• State of Maine LegislaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maine Lobster industry works hand-in-hand with the Maine legislature to implement sustainable fishing practices and conservation laws, including Zone Management, V-Notch law, and right whale protections.
• West Wind Lobster ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLobster boat tour operator offering experiences in Bailey Island and Harpswell, Maine. Part of the MLMC's experiential tourism network.
• Lucky Catch CruisesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPortland-based lobster boat tour operator providing educational tours about lobster harvesting. Part of the MLMC's experiential tourism network.
• Lulu Lobster Boat ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBar Harbor area lobster boat tour operator offering tours from Gouldsboro, Maine. Part of the MLMC's experiential tourism network.
• Member Lobster BusinessescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of over 100 member businesses including Look Lobster Co., MDI Lobster Company, Bold Coast Seafood, Graffam Bros. Seafood Market, Winter Harbor Lobster Co-op, Island Seafood, Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co., The Lobster Trap, and many others who sell Maine Lobster products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Get Maine Lobster: A direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer that is part of MLMC's member network and ships live Maine Lobster directly to consumers nationwide. Comparable as a DTC-native operator within the same supply ecosystem, illustrating one of the channels MLMC's marketing supports.
• Cooke Aquaculture / True North Salmon: A vertically integrated aquaculture and seafood company with growing presence in shellfish and lobster supply in Atlantic Canada. Comparable as an emerging aquaculture-backed competitor that could pressure Maine's wild-harvest positioning with farmed alternatives at lower price points.
• Luke's Lobster: A restaurant and DTC retail concept specializing in Maine-sourced lobster that operates as a member of MLMC's network. Comparable as a focused, smaller-scale player commercializing the Maine Lobster brand in restaurant and DTC formats.

Broad incumbents

• Red Lobster: The largest restaurant chain buyer of lobster in the United States and a major driver of consumer lobster demand. Comparable as the dominant commercial demand sink for lobster, and a key influencer of consumer perception of the category that MLMC's marketing efforts must compete against.
• Thai Union Group: One of the world's largest seafood companies (owner of Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee, and other brands), with a growing presence in shellfish and value-added seafood. Represents the broader global incumbent category that competes with Maine Lobster in retail and foodservice on scale and price.
• Pacific Seafood Group: A large, family-owned US seafood company with vertically integrated harvesting, processing, and distribution. While broader in species mix, it competes with Maine Lobster members in lobster, crab, and other shellfish categories across foodservice and retail.
• Clearwater Seafoods: One of North America's largest vertically integrated seafood companies and a major Canadian lobster and shellfish harvester. A larger, established player competing directly with Maine Lobster in the same product category (lobster, scallops, clams) across wholesale and export channels.
• High Liner Foods: A large North American value-added seafood company producing frozen prepared seafood including lobster products for retail and foodservice. Operates as a broader incumbent competing for shelf space and foodservice menu real estate with Maine Lobster member products.

Direct peers

• Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI): A state-level seafood marketing collaborative funded by industry and government that promotes Alaska's seafood (including salmon, cod, crab, and pollock) globally. Directly comparable in structure and mission to MLMC, demonstrating a parallel state-funded seafood-marketing model.
• Lobster Council of Canada: The national marketing body for Canadian lobster, operating in the same product category (lobster) and serving the same broad mission of promoting a country's lobster industry internationally. It is the most direct competitor to MLMC's national-lobster-marketing model, particularly in European and Asian export markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lobsterfromme
• Facebookfacebook.com/lobsterfrommaine
• Instagraminstagram.com/lobsterfrommaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-lobster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Maine Lobster