Profish
Profish is a privately held Washington, DC-based seafood distributor founded in 1988 that supplies 2,500+ restaurants via a 24-truck fleet across the mid-Atlantic and sells direct to consumers through online ordering, home delivery, farmers markets, and pickup locations, with the proprietary FishPrint traceability system and in-house DNA testing as its key differentiators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Profish does
Profish (legally OceanPro Industries Ltd, also operating as Profish Ltd. and Captain's Choice) is a Washington, DC-based seafood distribution company founded in November 1988 by Greg Casten, initially supplying two restaurants from a single pickup truck. Today it operates from a 15,000 sq ft warehouse with a fleet of 24 trucks, serving more than 2,500 restaurant and foodservice accounts across the mid-Atlantic corridor (New York City to Virginia Beach, Philadelphia to Washington DC), while also selling direct to consumers through online ordering, home delivery, the Profish Curbside location, farmers markets, and a network of 'Meet The Truck' pickup points across the DC metro area. The company's core offering spans fresh and frozen fish, shellfish, caviar, sushi, smoked products, and ancillary categories; its wholly-owned Ivy City Smokehouse sub-brand, founded in 2016, produces artisanal smoked seafood and operates as a retail/restaurant concept.
Profish's underlying technology stack centers on the proprietary FishPrint Traceability System, a first-of-its-kind platform that traces seafood from plate to fisherman and exposes sustainability ratings, nutritional information, DNA test results, catch maps, and QR-coded waiter cards for foodservice partners. In-house DNA testing, conducted in partnership with Instantlabs, makes the company the first U.S. seafood distributor to use onsite DNA testers for species authentication and fraud prevention, complemented by a Carbon FishPrint rating system that measures the energy footprint of each product. These capabilities are supported by sustainability partnerships with Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, NOAA FishWatch, the Environmental Defense Fund, Smart Catch/James Beard Foundation, True Blue Maryland, and local Chesapeake Bay suppliers, and by a community-engagement nonprofit (Charity Off The Hook) and charitable donation programs.
The business model combines transaction-based wholesale seafood sales (minimum order $125, shipping included) with a growing direct-to-consumer channel (minimum order $50, $15 home delivery fee, plus FedEx-based nationwide shipping for frozen and specialty products). Pricing is unit-based by pound, each, or case across a catalog that ranges from commodity items to premium specialties such as Chilean Sea Bass at $56.99/lb and Maryland Crab Jumbo Lump at $65.00/lb. The go-to-market is hybrid: a sales-led wholesale motion serving 2,500+ enterprise foodservice accounts via dedicated truck routes, paired with a DTC motion featuring the 'Fish N Easy' meal kit line (curated by Michelin-rated Chef Ron Goodman and James Beard-honored Chef David Stein), farmers market presence, and digital ordering via the company website. The company is privately held, has not raised external funding, and reports 90+ employees, with Greg Casten continuing to serve as president and Timothy Lydon as partner.
Profish firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Profish
- Legal name
- OceanPro Industries Ltd
- Website
- https://profish.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Profish is a privately held Washington, DC-based seafood distributor founded in 1988 that supplies 2,500+ restaurants via a 24-truck fleet across the mid-Atlantic and sells direct to consumers through online ordering, home delivery, farmers markets, and pickup locations, with the proprietary FishPrint traceability system and in-house DNA testing as its key differentiators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Profish industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seafood Wholesale and Retail Distribution
- NAICS
- Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117)
- SIC
- Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC), Smoked, Cured & Salted Seafood (Lox, Kippers, Bacalao) (AFANADAF), Refrigerated Meat & Seafood (Processed/Packaged) (CRADACAK), Live Seafood & Tank-Based Distribution Wholesale (AFAIADAI)
Keywords
Where Profish is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices17 records
Markets served
Profish business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Seafood Product Sales: Sale of fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood products including fish, shellfish, caviar, and prepared smoked products through wholesale and retail channels
- Delivery Services: Home delivery service with $15 per delivery fee for residential customers, included in wholesale and depot shipping
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale pricing tier with $125 minimum |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Retail pricing tier with $50 minimum |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Unit-based seafood pricing (per lb, per each, per case) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Profish product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Profish sources, distributes, and sells fresh, frozen, smoked, and specialty seafood through a wholesale arm serving 2,500+ restaurants and foodservice operators across the mid-Atlantic/Northeast and a direct-to-consumer retail arm (Captain's Choice) offering online ordering, home delivery, and pickup across the Washington DC metro area. The company supplements its seafood catalog with the Ivy City Smokehouse artisan smoked-seafood line, Fish N Easy ready-to-cook meal kits curated by Michelin-rated and James Beard-honored chefs, and the proprietary FishPrint Traceability System paired with in-house DNA testing to verify species authenticity and sustainability.
Product overview
Profish is a premier seafood wholesale and retail company in the Washington metro area, operating an e-commerce platform for fresh and frozen seafood products. The core offering includes Fish Fresh, Caviar, Crabmeat, Crab, Lobster, Octopus, Oysters/Clams/Shellfish, Scallops, Shrimp, Squid, Sushi, and specialty categories (Other Seafood, Breakfast Proteins, Sauces, Tools of the Trade). The company also operates Ivy City Smokehouse as a sub-brand producing artisanal smoked seafood products. Profish offers meal kits through its Fish N Easy program and provides technology-enabled services including the FishPrint Traceability System for sustainability verification and DNA testing for fraud prevention. Customers can order online for home delivery or pickup at various Meet The Truck locations throughout the DC metro area.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Profish Wholesale Seafood Distribution Wholesale supply of fresh, frozen, smoked, and specialty seafood products to 2,500+ restaurant, hotel, caterer, and foodservice accounts across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, delivered by a 24-truck fleet from a 15,000-square-foot Washington DC warehouse on a $125 minimum order with same-day fulfillment and Sunday pickup.
- Captain's Choice Retail Seafood Direct-to-consumer seafood retail storefront for individuals and households in the DC metro, offering the same fresh, frozen, smoked, and specialty seafood as wholesale on a $50 minimum order, with $15 home delivery to serviceable zip codes and pickup at the Profish Curbside warehouse, Meet The Truck locations, farmers markets, and FedEx shipping nationwide.
- Ivy City Smokehouse Artisan Smoked Seafood Artisan smoked seafood product line including hot smoked salmon, cold smoked salmon, smoked whitefish, jerky, salads and spreads, and gravlax, hand-crafted by Smoke Masters Ron Goodman and Jesus Bercian in the custom Washington, DC smokehouse and sold wholesale and retail under the Ivy City Smokehouse brand.
- Fish N Easy Meal Kits Raw, ready-to-cook assembled seafood meal kits curated by Michelin-rated Chef Ron Goodman and James Beard-honored Chef David Stein, sold through the Profish retail storefront for at-home preparation.
- FishPrint Traceability System Proprietary traceability platform that surfaces sustainable ratings, nutritional information, DNA-verified species results, Latin genus, catch/farm origin maps, and QR-coded waiter cards for restaurant partners, enabling foodservice operators to provide verifiable provenance and sustainability information to their diners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Service area spans from New York City to Virginia Beach, Philadelphia to Washington DC
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Profish
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Profish technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Profish partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- InstantlabscorePartnership for in-house DNA testing to prevent seafood fraud. Beta testing of onsite DNA testers that provide precise and immediate species identification for the seafood industry.
- Oyster Recovery PartnershipminorProfish donates oyster shells to Oyster Recovery Partnership which recycles shells to plant oyster beds, helping filter Chesapeake Bay water and support watershed health.
- Charity Off The HookcoreNonprofit created by Profish to build strong local community through charitable involvement. Monthly charity beneficiaries receive proceeds from blue catfish sales and fundraisers.
- Miriam's KitchenminorProfish donates fresh fish monthly to help feed homeless individuals restaurant-style meals at Miriam's Kitchen.
- True Blue Maryland ProgramcoreProgram by Maryland Department of Natural Resources to fight seafood fraud in blue crab market. True Blue label ensures Maryland blue crab meat was used, not other crab species.
- Monterey Bay Seafood WatchcoreSustainable seafood program partner allowing chefs to search products by sustainability rating on Profish website.
- NOAA FishWatchminorPartner for sustainable seafood information and sourcing guidance integrated into product listings.
- Virginia Aquarium Sensible SeafoodminorPartner program for sustainable seafood sourcing guidance and consumer education.
- Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)minorPartner providing sustainable seafood information and ratings for various species including salmon, striped bass, and tuna.
- Maryland Seafood / Chesapeake BaycoreLocal sourcing partnership supporting Chesapeake Bay fishing community and watermen traditions through Educational Chef Trips program.
- Jay Fleming PhotographyminorWildlife photography partner showcasing local seafood sourcing and Chesapeake Bay environment.
- James Beard FoundationminorSmart Catch program partnership supporting sustainable seafood sourcing in restaurants.
- Smart Catch ProgramminorSustainable seafood certification program for restaurants facilitated through James Beard Foundation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Profish competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inland Seafood: Inland Seafood is a multi-regional specialty seafood distributor headquartered in Atlanta, serving restaurants, retailers and foodservice operators across the eastern U.S. It competes directly with Profish for fine-dining and wholesale accounts, with similar product breadth and focus on fresh/frozen finfish and shellfish.
- Fortune Fish & Gourmet: Fortune Fish & Gourmet is a specialty seafood and gourmet foods distributor serving the Midwest and beyond with fresh, frozen and prepared seafood. It is highly comparable to Profish as a specialty (vs. broadline) wholesale operator targeting chefs and high-end retail.
- Sam Rust Seafood: Sam Rust Seafood is a mid-Atlantic seafood distributor based in Maryland serving the DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia markets. It directly overlaps with Profish on geography and customer base, supplying restaurants and retailers with fresh finfish and shellfish.
- Honolulu Fish Company: Honolulu Fish Company is a specialty seafood wholesaler sourcing high-quality fresh fish for top restaurants, with strong sustainability positioning and chef relationships. Comparable to Profish on premium positioning, sustainability storytelling and chef/wholesale focus.
- Lobster Place: Lobster Place is a New York-based seafood wholesaler and retail market operating out of the Chelsea Market complex, serving both restaurants and consumers with live, fresh and frozen seafood. Direct overlap with Profish on wholesale + DTC retail seafood in a major Northeast metro.
- Citarella: Citarella is a high-end NYC fish market and seafood retailer specializing in fresh, premium and hard-to-find finfish and shellfish. Comparable to Profish on premium DTC seafood retail, but more retail-centric and without equivalent wholesale scale.
- Browne Trading Company: Browne Trading is a specialty seafood purveyor based in Portland, Maine that supplies restaurants and consumers with premium, sustainable, traceable seafood. Comparable to Profish on premium positioning, sustainability credentials, and DTC-plus-wholesale model.
Broad incumbents
- Sysco: Sysco is the largest broadline foodservice distributor in North America, distributing seafood (among many other categories) to restaurants, hospitals and institutions. It sets the scale benchmark Profish benchmarks against but operates a much broader portfolio with less specialty focus.
- US Foods: US Foods is one of the largest broadline foodservice distributors in the U.S., with a sizable specialty seafood program including the Stock Yards brand. Comparable to Profish as a restaurant-supply competitor but with nationwide scale and broader category coverage.
- Performance Food Group / Roma Food Group: Performance Food Group is a major broadline and specialty foodservice distributor that competes for restaurant and institutional accounts across the U.S. Comparable to Profish in serving the same foodservice end customers but at materially greater scale and across many product categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Profish social profiles
Digital presenceProfish financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Profish leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Profish subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Profish funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Profish M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Profish
What does Profish do?
Profish sources, distributes, and sells fresh, frozen, smoked, and specialty seafood through a wholesale arm serving 2,500+ restaurants and foodservice operators across the mid-Atlantic/Northeast and a direct-to-consumer retail arm (Captain's Choice) offering online ordering, home delivery, and pickup across the Washington DC metro area. The company supplements its seafood catalog with the Ivy City Smokehouse artisan smoked-seafood line, Fish N Easy ready-to-cook meal kits curated by Michelin-rated and James Beard-honored chefs, and the proprietary FishPrint Traceability System paired with in-house DNA testing to verify species authenticity and sustainability.
Is Profish a public or private company?
Profish is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Profish founded?
Profish was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Profish based?
Profish is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Profish make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Seafood Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are delivery Services.
Who are Profish's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inland Seafood, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Sam Rust Seafood, Honolulu Fish Company, Lobster Place, Citarella and Browne Trading Company. Broad incumbents are Sysco, US Foods and Performance Food Group / Roma Food Group.
Does Profish have an API?
No public API is recorded for Profish.
What industry is Profish in?
Profish's product category is Seafood Wholesale and Retail Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIADAD, Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen), with a secondary code of CRAHAHAC, Seafood Markets & Fishmongers. Its NAICS code is 42446 and its SIC code is 2092.