Will New Fish Product Land Big Profits?

Entrepreneur Alan Morasch says he wants to be a big fish in a little pond.

Underneath the hairnet he wears daily lies a savvy intuition that convinced him the future of the food business can be found between the fins of coldblooded vertebrates.

Bringing his fishy ideas with him, Morasch came to Coos Bay in July to start a processing plant that produces Seafood Wrap-Ups, fish fillets combined with cheeses, wrapped in tortillas and smothered with sauces.

Morasch, 39, founder of Splash ‘n Sea, says connoisseurs have a limited choice when it comes to fish.

“When people go into the grocery store, they have two options: raw seafood or a breaded products that calls for deep frying: lots of grease and lots of fat,” he says.

But doctors are increasingly recommending a diet of fish because it is low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein.

Preparing and cooking raw fish is not considered ideal by many consumers, says Morasch.

“The average consumer doesn’t know how to cook seafood. Plus, they don’t like that distinctive smell which lingers in their house for days. There are a lot of consumers who like the idea of such a health food but can’t stomach the fishy taste.”

Morasch says Seafood Wrap-Ups solve all these problems.

The fish is fully cooked at the processing plant before being combined with cheeses, wrapped in tortillas and sauteed. The only preparation left for the consumer is to pop the frozen entree into the microwave for five minutes or the oven for 30 minutes.

“No fishy smell. No hours of preparation. And no fishy taste,” he says.

Wrap-Ups come in three varieties: Italian, Southwestern and Oriental.

Morasch says the key to a successful business is to put the consumer’s needs above all.

“I don’t particularly like fish myself,” he notes, “But if I produced a product based only on what I like, I wouldn’t be in business for long.”

Morasch, who grew up working in the meat business, says an attempt to develop a value-added meat product in California went “OK,” but didn’t get the interest his Wrap-Ups have received nationwide.

Refrigerator & Frozen Foods, a national trade magazine, gave Seafood Wrap-Ups top honors in its seafood, meat and poultry divisions over a list of well-knowns such as Tyson Chicken, Morasch says.

“The growing demand for a health food that is high in protein, low in fat and cholesterol and is a snap to prepare is evident,” he says. “Fish is the ideal food.”

Wrap-Ups are simply a basic product with a twist.

“Look what happened to the coffee market. Coffee is coffee, but lattes are coffee and milk done in a different form.”

Seafood Wrap-Ups use Alaskan pollock, a mild-flavored white fish that is the same as the fish found in a Burger King fish filet sandwich, he says.

Twelve grams of fat, or 18% of the recommended daily value, are locked into each Wrap-Up. But as Morasch quickly points out, 18% is what is found in half a Whopper.

“You could eat three of these a day and get only half of your daily fat limits,” he says.

Wal-Mart, Taco Bell and Fred Meyer are some of the big chains that are showing interest in his innovative dish, Morasch says. Each Wrap-Up retails for $2.99 and can be found in the frozen-food section of grocery stores.

Meat manager Joe Oppeltz of the Coos Bay Fred Meyer says the chain has carried Wrap-Ups for about a month.

“It’s the first product I’ve seen of its kind,” he says. He has sold two cases and plans to order more.

Dreams of being a big fish in a small pond doesn’t stop Morasch from managing his Coos Bay plant with an easygoing style his employees seem to appreciate.

Employee Joanne Harrington says she is having a lot of fun working for Splash ‘n Sea.

“It’s kind of neat to start with a company from the ground up--a company that is going places,” she adds.