Each summer, Mat Riendeau, Karen Trine, and their three children journey from Chicago to Kodiak, Alaska to harvest the annual wild salmon run and bring high quality seafood to the Midwest.
Mat and Karen started Hook Point Fisheries in 2022 by first marketing their fish to a handful of friends and family. Their product quickly gained interest and attention so they began scaling their business and marketing to all of Chicagoland and beyond.
“Our goal is to serve as a model responsible small-scale fishing operation,” Karen said. “Sustainability and responsible harvesting methods are at the forefront of all of our work. All of our methods and operations are aimed at ensuring that we will be able to continue to fish these waters for generations to come.”
Hook Point Fisheries offers a variety of salmon, with sashimi grade Alaskan sockeye as their main product. Their fish is hand pulled from nets then sent to a 100% tribal-owned processor. From there, the fish is delivered to customers across Chicagoland.
In 2023, Mat and Karen came to A4CB for business coaching. Through their free 1-on-1 coaching sessions, Mat and Karen were able to envision their business goals and create a path to grow. “A4CB has been an amazing resource for us,” Mat said. “[A4CB] has helped us start to grow a vibrant community of Chicagoans…and provided some much needed navigation help.”
Looking forward, Mat and Karen plan to grow Hook Point Fisheries and offer more salmon-based products, while still remaining true to their small, family operated model.
“In today’s world, there is a significant disconnect between the food people consume and its origin,” Mat said. “We believe in knowing where our food comes from. People are increasingly aware of the importance of selecting healthy and nutritious food, and we aspire to help them recognize that these choices are inherently ethical as well.”
