Boston Sword & Tuna

What Boston Sword & Tuna does

Boston Sword & Tuna (BST) is a privately held, fifth-generation seafood wholesale distributor headquartered in a 50,000 sq/ft SQF-certified GMP facility at 10 Codfish Way on Boston's waterfront. Founded in 2003 by Michael Scola and Tim Malley, with roots tracing to a 1972 R&P Seafood/Shellfish predecessor and the five-generation Scola family trade, the company operates under parent Fortune International, LLC and positions itself as 'America's One-Stop-Shop for Seafood.' BST distributes fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood across 14+ categories — including swordfish, tuna, salmon, scallops, lobster, groundfish, headfish, halibut, shellfish, specialty items, and exclusive sub-brands Perfekt Salmon and Patriot Oysters — sourced from fishermen and farms across 16+ geographies (Norway, Iceland, Chile, Australia, Alaska, the Caribbean, and others) with its own longline vessels (F/V Iron Maiden, F/V Iron Lady).

The company's underlying technology is industrial food-processing rather than software. BST operates a continuously temperature-monitored facility with a 50,000-pound live lobster holding tank fed by fresh ocean water, laser-precision center-cut portioning in the 4–10 oz range, automated ozonated water sanitation with off-site monitoring, and a tray-pack/skin-pack retail-ready packaging line with custom labeling and pricing. Certifications include SQF (GFSI), MSC, ASC, HACCP, and FDA registration, with partner farms additionally holding BRC, GlobalG.A.P., BAP, Debio organic, and Kosher certifications. The 184–200+ person organization includes dedicated sales reps who double as category lead buyers across every product division.

BST sells exclusively through a direct, members-only wholesale channel at undisclosed volume-based pricing, targeting three horizontal segments: restaurants, retail/grocery, and other seafood wholesalers. Distribution is domestic-direct via the company's own logistics and delivery fleet, with international sourcing relationships but no disclosed international sales footprint. Revenue is generated as one-time wholesale transactions per shipment, with food-service and retail-ready prepared seafood positioned as the higher-margin value-added layer on top of commodity fresh and frozen distribution.

Name

Boston Sword & Tuna

Legal name

Boston Sword & Tuna

Website

https://bstseafood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Sword & Tuna is a fifth-generation, privately held wholesale seafood distributor operating an SQF-certified Boston waterfront facility, selling fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood across 14+ categories directly to restaurants, retailers, and other wholesalers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF)

Keywords

• Wholesale seafood distribution
• Fresh seafood supply
• Value-added seafood processing
• Portion-controlled seafood
• Sustainable seafood sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Seafood Distribution: Revenue generated from selling fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood products to wholesale customers including restaurants, retailers, and seafood wholesalers. Products include swordfish, tuna, salmon, scallops, lobster, groundfish, headfish, shellfish, prepared seafood, and specialty seafood. Volume-based pricing with competitive wholesale rates due to bulk purchasing power.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Boston Sword & Tuna is a wholesale seafood distributor that sources, processes, and distributes fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood to restaurants, retailers, and seafood wholesalers. Operating from a 50,000 sq/ft SQF-certified facility on Boston's waterfront, the company offers 14+ product categories including swordfish, tuna, salmon, scallops, lobster, groundfish, and specialty seafood, with value-added processing such as laser-precision portioning and retail-ready tray-pack packaging.

Product overview

Boston Sword & Tuna is a fifth-generation seafood wholesale distributor positioned as 'America's One-Stop-Shop for Seafood.' The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered on fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood distribution. Core products include swordfish, tuna, salmon (including the exclusive Perfekt Salmon brand), scallops, lobster, groundfish, headfish, halibut, shellfish, and specialty seafood. The company differentiates through exclusive brands (Perfekt Salmon, Patriot Oysters), a value-added Prepared Seafood division offering retail-ready tray packs and laser-precision portioning, and a Frozen Seafood category for year-round availability. The portfolio is unified by the company's SQF-certified 50,000 sq/ft facility in Boston with direct ocean access for live lobster holding, and a commitment to sustainable sourcing from managed fisheries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perfekt Salmon: Exclusive Norwegian Atlantic salmon brand sourced from icy fjords surrounding the island of Froya in northern Norway, known for smoother-flavored, richer tasting salmon prized by chefs and consumers.
• Patriot Oysters

Products and services

• Swordfish

Quantifiable outcome

• Added 44 jobs with facility expansion, projecting 200+ total employees
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vikenco AScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Long-standing partnership reaffirmed after confidential settlement resolving all prior litigation claims. Both parties committed to renewed collaboration and shared growth opportunities. No admissions of liability or wrongdoing made by either side.
• Big Rock OysterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Patriot Oysters production; farmed in Massachusetts Cape Cod Bay area. Seed purchased from Fishers Island Oyster and grown at Crowes Pasture Beach in East Dennis, MA.
• Fishers Island Oyster (Dr. Steve Malinowski)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed supplier for Patriot Oysters; provides 8-12mm seed for oyster cultivation
• Massachusetts Fallen HeroesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership donating $5 per box of Patriot Oysters sold during July; raised over $80,000 in 8 years. Foundation honors fallen heroes, supports their families, and educates the community.
• Pink Ribbon OystersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOctober breast cancer awareness partnership donating 25% of all PRO (Patriot Oyster) sales to breast cancer research
• The Dore FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in the business for two generations; Larry Dore joined BST in 2012 as partner; Dore family brings extensive fillet business knowledge
• F/V Iron Maiden and F/V Iron LadyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBST-owned longline fishing vessels that BST continues to buy from; personal relationships with industry-leading local longline fishing vessels
• Norwegian Salmon Farmers (Froya Island)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with select group of Norwegian salmon farmers in the icy fjords surrounding Froya island in northern Norway for exclusive Perfekt Salmon brand

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fortune Fish & Gourmet: Bensenville, IL-based specialty seafood and gourmet foods wholesaler serving foodservice and retail across the US. Comparable multi-category seafood distribution with value-added processing and sustainability certifications.
• Stavis Seafoods: Boston-based wholesale seafood distributor serving restaurants and retailers across the Northeast with fresh and frozen seafood. Closest geographic and product-line peer to BST, operating a similar members-only wholesale model with comparable customer segments.
• Inland Seafood: Southeast US (Atlanta-based) seafood processor and distributor serving restaurants and retailers. Comparable fresh and frozen seafood wholesale with value-added processing capabilities.
• Red's Best: Boston-based seafood distributor leveraging technology to source from small-boat fishermen across New England. Comparable Northeast wholesale model, fresh-seafood focus, and direct sourcing from independent fishermen.
• Samuels & Son Seafood: Philadelphia-based multi-generational wholesale seafood distributor serving Mid-Atlantic restaurants and retailers. Comparable family-operated history, multi-category fresh seafood portfolio, and dedicated sales-rep coverage model.
• J.J. McDonnell: Mid-Atlantic (Maryland-based) wholesale seafood distributor serving restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators. Comparable product breadth (fresh, frozen, prepared seafood) and B2B wholesale distribution model.
• North Coast Seafood: East Coast seafood wholesaler and processor offering fresh and frozen seafood to restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators. Directly comparable value-added processing, multi-category portfolio, and wholesale distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Performance Food Group: Large US foodservice distributor (Vistar/Roma) with seafood offerings to restaurants, vending, and convenience channels. Competes indirectly via foodservice contracts but lacks BST's fresh-seafood specialization.
• US Foods: Major US broadline foodservice distributor with a sizable seafood division serving restaurants and healthcare/institutional accounts. Overlaps with BST on restaurant supply but operates a much broader portfolio at national scale.
• Sysco Corporation: Largest US broadline foodservice distributor, carrying seafood as one category among many thousands of SKUs. Competes for restaurant and institutional seafood dollars but does not specialize in BST's fresh, premium, value-added niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJXzSwM0CucVOHUyBTugl_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/bstseafood
• Instagraminstagram.com/bstseafood

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Boston Sword & Tuna