{"id":51248,"date":"2021-12-20T21:32:17","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T21:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/alumni\/?p=51248"},"modified":"2021-12-20T21:46:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T21:46:05","slug":"surrender-salmon-a-family-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/alumni\/2021\/12\/20\/surrender-salmon-a-family-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Surrender Salmon: A Family Business"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"From<\/a>
From left to right: Blake, Mark, Grant, and Bryce.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Grant Niver graduated from Augsburg in 2013 with a degree in Communication Studies. He credits the decision to make the transition to Minnesota from his home state of Alaska as the top three decisions he has ever made. \u201cMoving allowed me to experience living in a new state and I met my wife down here,\u201d Grant shared. He also has strong family ties in the state with both his parents growing up in Prior Lake. Although he only spent two years at Augsburg, he developed lasting friendships and discovered his entrepreneurial drive through the courses he took. \u201cIn the more advanced communication classes, we talked a lot about marketing, business, and how to build your brand,\u201d said Grant. And it was in these classes that the idea to start a business with his family began.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting when he was 11 years old, Grant has fished in Bristol Bay, Alaska on his family\u2019s boat, <\/span>Surrender. <\/span><\/i>\u201cI would always get seasick growing up, so fishing was never a favorite activity of mine,\u201d he reflected amusingly. As he found his sea legs, Grant\u2019s passion for catching fish (specifically salmon) and educating others on sustainable fishing grew. \u201cOne year, I brought back around 200 pounds of salmon for friends and family in Minnesota and it grew progressively from there.\u201d <\/span>Surrender Salmon<\/span><\/a> was established in 2017 with the goal of bringing the world\u2019s best wild salmon to Minnesotans, directly from the fisherman. Grant\u2019s father, Mark, runs the boat and Grant and his two younger brothers, Blake and Bryce, make up the crew on deck.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Freshly<\/a>SUSTAINABLE FISHING<\/b><\/h3>\n

Sustainability is a core tenet to the Surrender Salmon business. \u201cWe work closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.\u201d Grant said. Bristol Bay is heavily regulated since it is the world\u2019s largest sustainable salmon run. It accounts for roughly 75% of the world\u2019s sockeye salmon supply. \u201cThey literally count each and every salmon that escapes up the river to spawn in the lake. Once they reach the targeted \u201cescapement number\u201d, the fishing season is open and we are fishing around the clock.\u201d There is a short window to catch fish, and a typical run is from mid-June through the end of July. Flash freezing the salmon within 12-24 hours of catching it is crucial in making sure it stays fresh for consumers for up to two years. \u201cIf you\u2019re buying salmon in the Midwest, it’s best to buy frozen and even better to know who caught it,\u201d Grant said. On top of sustainability, all of the packaging they use to ship their salmon is 100% recyclable!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

OPERATING A SMALL BUSINESS<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>
The Niver family boat, Surrender.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Surrender Salmon previously worked with local businesses such as Lunds & Byerlys in 2018-2019, as well as other local restaurants, but they have since switched to e-commerce. \u201cIt was a hard pivot to make, but it has allowed us to have a more robust business where we could be in more control,\u201d Grant said. Since transitioning to online-only purchases, they have been able to expand to nationwide shipping. \u201cOur first shipping with FedEx is something I am extremely proud of. We\u2019ve come a long way since tabling at farmers markets, gyms, and hand-delivering all of our orders,\u201d Grant said. \u201cStarting a business can feel insurmountable, but for anyone interested in pursuing this path, I recommend two things: 1) find a good mentor, and 2) find someone you can trust as a business partner. Having those resources will make a huge impact.\u201d In fact, one of Grant\u2019s high school friends, Stuart Krueger, moved to Minnesota in 2016 and has taken the lead on helping Surrender Salmon\u2019s marketing and reach. \u201cWe definitely would not be where we are today without him.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now that Grant\u2019s business has grown in recent years and he has found himself shipping salmon to some Auggies, he is thrilled to share his family\u2019s story with more people in the community. \u201cI am so grateful to Augsburg and I\u2019m appreciative of any opportunities to pay it forward and make more connections by raising awareness about what Surrender Salmon is all about.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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