Winning Indonesia's top honours
)The award recognizes the remarkable contribution of Jeff Stern and CenSea as a top importer and distributor of Indonesian seafood in the United States
Jeff Stern, Co-President, CenSea, a Captain Fresh group company, has been awarded the prestigious Primaduta Award 2024, one of Indonesia's top honors.
Established in 1996, this annual recognition by the Indonesian government is bestowed upon foreign companies for their exemplary role in promoting Indonesian goods in their respective countries, thereby strengthening cultural and economic ties.
Headquartered in Illinois, CenSea is one of the largest importers and distributors of frozen seafood in the US. With a rich legacy and extensive expertise of over 60 years in the industry, CenSea markets an array of high-quality seafood responsibly sourced from multiple countries to a wide clientele, including restaurant chains, food service distributors, retailers, and food manufacturers. Indonesia, the largest archipelagic nation in the world, ranks among the top producers and suppliers of fisheries products worldwide, with the US being its primary export market. With the total value of seafood and fish exports reaching $2.71 billion in the first half of 2024, the US has contributed 32.8% ($889.39 million), as reported by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP).
"I share this honor with our incredible partners and suppliers in Indonesia, whose dedication to quality and sustainability makes our work possible. Bringing the exceptional quality seafood of Indonesia to American households is a privilege that we value deeply," said Jeff Stern on receiving the award.
Jeff Stern is a respected seafood industry veteran with a career that spans over four decades. His role as Co-President of CenSea and dedication to sustainable practices, including his contributions to the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), continue to influence the trajectory of the industry globally. The Primaduta Award underscores CenSea's broader commitment to sourcing high-quality seafood and strengthening sustainable trade relationships.
Early this year, CenSea was acquired by Captain Fresh, a tech-led vertically integrated global powerhouse of seafood brands. CenSea's rich legacy and market dominance, now coupled with Captain Fresh's proprietary technology, reinforces the group's position as an emerging global leader in the seafood industry. The group represents one of the world's fastest-growing multi-species, tech-enabled house of brands that vertically integrates various multi-geography supply chains to provide differentiated, traceable, high-quality products for customers.
