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Chuck Bundrant, a true legend in the Alaska seafood industry, passed away October 17th at home surrounded by his family and friends. He was 79. We grieve the passing of our founder while cherishing Chuck Bundrant’s immense vision, values and commitment. We are committed to honoring Chuck’s legacy and building on the incredible company he founded and lifting the industry he loved.
A memorial service to honor Chuck Bundrant, his servant leadership, and his devotion to God and family, was held at New Life Church in Everett, Washington on November 3rd. The service was a moving testament to Chuck and the many lives he’s impacted. For those who were not able to attend or view the live stream, a recording of the service is provided here.
In memory of Chuck Bundrant, donations in lieu of flowers are encouraged to the following organizations:
American Parkinson Disease Association – NW Chapter
Donate to Our Northwest Chapter | APDA Northwest (apdaparkinson.org)
Send check payable to:
APDA-NW Chapter
180 Nickerson Street, Ste 108
Seattle, WA 98109
Coast Guard Foundation
Coast Guard Foundation Donation Form (salsalabs.org)
or donate by phone 860-535-0786
Safe Harbor Church – Akutan, Alaska
Send checks payable to:
Safe Harbor Church
c/o Krissie Smith
24153 E Greystone Ln
Woodway, WA 98020
Samaritan’s Purse
Donate to Samaritan’s Purse (samaritanspurse.org)
Send Check payable to:
Samaritan’s Purse
Attn: Stewardship
PO Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial Fund
Make a Donation | Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial (seattlefishermensmemorial.org)
Send check payable to:
Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial
PO Box 17356
Seattle, WA 98107
On 10/20/21, Senator Lisa Murkowski honored the life and legacy of Chuck Bundrant in her speech on the floor of the United States Senate. “He lived his life in a way that really speaks to the values of integrity, loyalty, hard work and—most importantly—faith.” Thank you, Senator Murkowski.
Catching A Deckload of Dreams
Chuck Bundrant and the Story of Trident Seafoods
The story of Chuck Bundrant and Trident Seafoods is more than a business biography. Its a tale of true grit, salt air, and danger. The stories are told by those who pioneered the fisheries, bucked the political tides, built the Alaska Seafood Industry, and literally risked their lives to do it!
The Story of Chuck Bundrant
Our Founder
The story of Trident Seafoods starts back in 1961, when a 19-year-old kid with nothing but a dream drove an old Ford from Tennessee to Seattle, in search of a great adventure at sea. That 19-year-old kid was Chuck Bundrant. And that little “adventure” stretched into a 12-year journey across Alaska, aboard any ship he could find, discovering everything there is to know about fishing and crabbing along the way. Chuck met two other likeminded crab fishermen in the early 1970s, Kaare Ness and Mike Jacobson. All three pooled their money together and built the Billikin—a 135-foot boat that not only changed the course of their partnership, but also changed the course of the entire seafood industry. The ingenious Billikin was the first vessel of its kind to feature crab cookers and freezing equipment onboard, so their fresh catch could be processed as soon as it was pulled out of the water instead of coming all the way back to shore.
In the winter of 1961, Chuck Bundrant drove his old ’53 Ford from Tennessee to Seattle. But not before snapping a quick shot with his father.
Soon after, the pioneering partnership expanded once more when the three fishermen joined with Edd Perry and his Bellingham-based company San Juan Seafoods. Now they had all the resources they needed to match their ambitions. That partnership over 40 years ago marked the beginning of Trident Seafoods. And that 19-year-old kid from Tennessee would become its founder and CEO. Chuck Bundrant could never have imagined how far that little “adventure” back in ‘61 was going to take him.
Chuck in the wheelhouse of his very first fishing vessel, The Addington.
Today, that dream is still alive and stronger than ever. Trident Seafoods has become the largest vertically-integrated seafood company in North America since its founding, yet we still hold true to the same beliefs we held four decades ago. Now more than ever, we believe that fish is our future, because it’s the healthiest protein we can put in our bodies. And we believe that this gift from the oceans is one we can never take for granted. We treat the sea with the respect it deserves, working toward sustaining a thriving and abundant ocean for generations to come.
Because we are fishermen at our core, and we have a bond with the ocean—when it prospers, we prosper too.
Trident Founder Chuck Bundrant