The Rotary Club of Salisbury is pleased to welcome to its Thursday, February 5 meeting Terry Conway, owner of Handy International. His presentation “International Growth of an Eastern Shore Company-Handy International,” will focus on the expansion of Handy from a Mid-Atlantic retailer to a worldwide player in the seafood industry.
Conway purchased Handy International, America’s oldest seafood processor, in 1981 from the Handy family. Originating as a fish business in Rehobeth, Maryland in 1894, it was founded by John Handy, and run by his family up until the time it was purchased by Conway. In 1903, the company relocated to Crisfield, Maryland and diversified into oysters, soft crabs and tomatoes.
Handy International continues to be the innovator in the crab industry, and is recognized around the world for its quality standards, which have remained constant for its entire 120 years.
“Owning my business was always my plan” according to Conway, who led a transformation of Handy from just a Mid-Atlantic retailer to a company moving product across the United States and to the west coast. In 1985, Handy broke into the Japanese market, and a year later began selling soft crabs in Europe.
When Chesapeake Bay crabs fell into a steep decline, Handy set up operations in the crab abundant area of Southeast Asia and also in Mexico. Its Maryland team traveled abroad, instituted the same company standards, and established a quality assurance division in each country. Today there are 14 Handy operations in six nations processing soft crabs, pasteurized crab meat, appetizers and crab entrees, including crab cakes.
Handy sells its products nationally and internationally to demanding food service distributors, chain restaurants, retailers, and wholesale clubs.
Conway, a previous Chief Financial Officer for Perdue Farms, graduated from Notre Dame University, and holds a Masters in Industrial Administration from Carnegie-Mellon.
The Rotary Club of Salisbury meets every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the Rotary Scout and Community Center at 1715 Riverside Drive in Salisbury. To learn more about the Rotary Club of Salisbury or to obtain membership information, please contact Membership Chairman Dave Harris at iharris@wcboe.org or visit the club’s website at www.rotarysalisbury.org.
