Craig Morris – President @ Keyport
Our Herd Freed Hartz executive search team was honored to partner with Keyport on a retained executive search to find their new President.
For nearly 30 years, Keyport LLC has quietly built a global reputation as one of the most trusted and nimble seafood companies in the industry. Founded by the Pedersen family and based in Edmonds, Washington, Keyport began with a deep knowledge of crab and a singular goal: to bring wild-caught, high-quality seafood from ocean to table with integrity, agility, and heart.
Today, Keyport is best known for its leadership in the wild-caught King and Snow Crab category, serving major national retailers and foodservice customers through both branded, bulk and private label programs. The company is vertically integrated—from sourcing and importing to processing and distribution—and navigates the complexities of domestic and international fisheries, logistics, and pricing with a small, talented team and a remarkable sense of trust, speed, and calm under pressure.
What makes Keyport special isn’t just its product portfolio or industry relationships—it’s the people. The team is small (under 15 employees), loyal, and collaborative. The culture is humble, family-centered, and solution-oriented. The brand reflects both the quality of the product and the values of the founders: trusted, steady, and built to last. As third-generation leaders Mark and Kurt Pedersen look toward the future, they’re ready to transition day-to-day leadership to a new President who can honor the company’s legacy while ushering in its next era of growth and operational excellence.
“We’ve developed strong momentum over the past several years,” said Mark Pedersen, CEO of Keyport. “As our business continues to grow, Craig’s experience and industry relationships add strength to our leadership team and increase our ability to aggressively expand the Keyport brand in the years ahead.”
“Keyport has built something special over the last 30 years, and I’m humbled to be joining this family-owned business as president,” said Morris. “The strong reputation across the Alaska seafood industry that Mark and Kurt have earned shines through in everything they do. I am eager to join the team and work to achieve the ambitious goals they’ve set for the future of the business.”
Keyport COO Kurt Pedersen added: “Craig’s addition allows us to stay focused on the consistent execution we’re known for while continuing to build on the long-standing relationships and partnerships that define our business.” For full press release.
This retained executive search was led by Chris Blais/Partner and Scott Rabinowitz/Partner.
Learn more about Herd Freed Hartz’s track record in:
Food & Beverage industry executive searches
Family Business industry executive searches
CEO/President leadership searches