Bumble Bee Looking To Move Offices ff

Bumble Bee Foods’ corporate headquarters is currently located in an office building in Kearny Mesa.

Bumble Bee Foods, North America’s largest branded seafood company, is thinking of returning to its downtown waterfront roots.

CEO Chris Lischewski says the search is on for a roughly 31,000-square-foot space for its 140 corporate employees. The company has been headquartered in its Kearny Mesa building for 10 years.

“While one of the options is stay in the area, we looked at the resurgence downtown -- the Gaslamp district, the ballpark, a lot of office buildings – it’s an exciting place to be,” he said.

Bumble Bee had its roots in the Columbia River Packers Association in Oregon in 1899. The brand was established in 1910 and the company took over a San Diego waterfront cannery in 1977.

Through a series of acquisitions and corporate takeovers, the company was acquired in 2010 for USD 980 million by Lion Capital. Its annual sales exceed USD 950 million.

Part of the reason for relocating, Lischewski said, is to elevate the company’s presence locally.

“Chicken of the Sea is also here,” he said, making San Diego home to two of the three biggest tuna companies in North America. “When we talk to people they have very little view of that.”

“We may be starting the negotiation process within the next month,” he said, and aim for a move-in by early next year.