Tilapia market pioneer retires from Regal Springs Trading Company
Mike Picchietti, President of Regal Springs Trading Company (RST), is retiring from RST, a company he helped start in the early 1990s. Picchietti was the early pioneering face for tilapia in North America and an ideal match for Regal's farms in Indonesia and Honduras, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Regal Springs.
Mike Picchietti, along with his wife Brenda, built the exclusive sales and marketing arm for the Regal Springs Tilapia Group, which first encompassed the Indonesian and subsequent Honduran production companies P.T. Aquafarms Nusantara (PTAN) and Aquafinca St. Peters Fish S.A (AF).
With Regal's farms, Picchietti had a consistent supply of good fish to sell. "I lived the dream, from social work with the Peace Corps in Africa to market tycoon, pioneering the tilapia market with Regal. It's very satisfying being part of this history," says Picchietti.
Picchietti will continue operating his personal tilapia hatchery. This company, Aquasafra, Inc., has become the key supplier of tilapia seed (fingerlings) for North American tilapia farmers, focused on the live tilapia market.
Picchietti concludes, "I will focus on projects, species and markets that Regal Springs is not or has not been involved. The numbers are huge, aquaculture has to grow to provide the volume and quality of seafood necessary for a hungry planet." Picchietti is also looking into using his tilapia hatchery in Bradenton, FL to train and assist missionaries and NGO's engaged in feeding the poor in developing countries.
Mike's responsibilities are being handed over to Regal Springs Tilapia Group CEO, Francisco Murillo. Mr. Murillo is a 13-year veteran of the tilapia industry which has been with Regal Springs for two and a half years. Mr. Murillo has been overseeing the production operations of the Regal Springs Tilapia Group in Honduras and Mexico, and the sales and marketing organization in the United States, Regal Springs Trading.
About Regal Springs. RST's fresh and frozen fish is sold in North America, Europe and Asia. RST is the largest producer of tilapia in the world. Company headquarters are in Bradenton, Florida. To learn more visit: www.regalsprings.com .