USA: Fishmonger.com Lands Big First Trade

Fishmonger.com, the Seattle-area e-business portal uniting the $352 billion global seafood industry, today announced the successful completion of its first online seafood auction. Fishmonger.com has been servicing more than 3,000 news and community members since early February and rolled out its trading operation four days ago. Over 12,000 pounds of frozen Black Tiger Shrimp from Thailand traded hands -- from a major international seafood producer to a dominant East Coast supermarket chain--across Fishmonger.com's auction platform, custom-designed and supported by IBM (NYSE:IBM - news). According to Tom Poole, Fishmonger.com's founder and CEO, the company's first online transaction is an exciting development. "This initial deal marks an important milestone for Fishmonger.com," Poole said. "With our membership numbers climbing daily, we are pleased with the enthusiasm we continue to receive from all players in the seafood industry. It is wonderful to see our members embrace Fishmonger.com as a tool to empower their businesses." Fishmonger.com's skilled customer service team assisted the buyer and seller with the details of trading online -- a "first" for both parties, said Customer Service Manager Deanna Moore. "This is what our team is all about -- helping our members connect with each other smoothly and efficiently every step of the way," Moore added. According to Chief Marketing Officer Ken Wheeler, Fishmonger.com's auctions are lining up rapidly with Pacific halibut, Red king crab, Russian scallops, Maine shrimp, and Atlantic salmon next on the block. "All of us at Fishmonger.com have been anticipating this time when all our hard work comes together," Wheeler said. "We are primed to assist our members representing small or large seafood interests in doing business better over the Internet."