COS Samoa Packing Company is commemorating 50 years of operations in American Samoa
COS Samoa Packing Company began operations at their present site in Atu'u January 1954 and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in American Samoa this month. It is appropriate the history Samoa Packing be prefaced by significant events that occurred soon after World War II.
Although most of us may believe Van Camp or Samoa Packing was the first tuna cannery in American Samoa, Island Packers, Inc. was the original cannery established in December 1948 by a group of U.S. investors headed by Mr. Harold Gatty, a well-known aviator and industrialist, including Randolph P. Marston, Ogden White and Lawrence S. Rockefeller.
In 1947 local government leaders and the Naval Administration, wanting to develop the Territory's economy, saw the establishment of local fishing industry and cannery as a good prospect for doing so. The Navy refurbished and dedicated warehouse and dock facilities at their Naval Base facility in Atu'u in hopes of encouraging the establishment of a fish processing and cannery operation and solicited U.S. investment interest resulting in the advent of Island Packers.
Unfortunately, Island Packers was not successful for various reasons including the inability to secure reliable supplies of raw fish and bait fish and forced to close operations in 1951. Discouraged but not beaten by this initial failure, local government leaders with support of the Department of Interior purchased Island Packing's equipment and facility improvements in 1952 and went shopping for U.S. firms to lease and operate the cannery in 1953.
The Van Camp Seafood Company of Terminal Island California won the bid over several firms across the U.S. and began lease and operations of the facility in January 1954 on the condition of significant capital investment and the minimum hiring of non-Samoan workers. Van Camp started operations with about 150 Samoan employees and producing about 20 tons per day. This grew to 100 tons per day and about 500 employees by the early 1960's.
In 1963, the large U.S. food conglomerate, Ralston-Purina Foods of St. Louis, Missouri purchased Van Camp Seafoods (VCS) holdings including the cannery in American Samoa, retaining the VCS Samoa Packing name. Upon completion of a major facility and equipment upgrade, the Company expanded production from a single to two production shifts per day in October 1982, almost doubling the workforce to about 1,600 and production capacity, as well.
In late 1988, the Company was bought by P. T. Mantrust Ltd, an Indonesian seafood giant. Tri-Union Seafoods, a partnership of Thai Union of Thailand and two U.S. owners purchased Chicken of the Sea International and Samoa Packing in August 1997. Thai Union became sole owner in 2001.
Today Chicken of the Sea (COS) Samoa Packing employs about 2,000 workers. General Manager Herman Gebauer is pleased and very thankful for Samoa Packing's continued generation of considerable benefits to the community. Including wages and salaries, Samoa Packing makes about $35 million of local purchases in the American Samoa economy contributing significantly to local commerce and employment, government revenues and the general community.
The major celebration at the Veteran's Stadium commences with a brass band parade including all 2,000 Sampac employees followed by invocation and speeches by General Manager Herman Gebauer, Hon. Governor Togiola, and top Executives of Chicken of the Sea International, Sampac's parent company. The remainder of the program features a full morning of entertainment by the 2,000 Sampac employees who have been religiously practicing their respective department's songs and dancing these past months. The event estimates an audience, including employees, retirees and invited guests, of about 4,000; breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The finale of Samoa Packing's 50th Anniversary Celebrations is a gala Cocktail Reception at the Tradewinds Hotel Pool side. The diverse invitation list consists of the Heads of Government, Fono members, ASG department heads, representatives of the business and general community, Sampac management and Chicken of the Sea executives. General Manager Herman Gebauer is pleased with the opportunity of the celebration activities to convey his deep appreciation and big fa'amalo to the Government, community, owners and especially, the dedicated employees and retirees for the invaluable support Samoa Packing has and continues to receive. Mr. Gebauer believes this historical community-wide commitment may once again prove to be the cornerstone that affords Samoa Packing to remain, perhaps another 50 years.