Bell plants remain open

REDKEY — Bell Aquaculture has had a rough summer, but reports of its demise are premature.
“We are open as of today,” Laura Baldwin, the firm’s director of sales integration, said this morning.
Bell had another round of layoffs in August related to the loss of a significant number of fish at its Albany fish farm. The company raises fish at its Albany plant and processes them at its Redkey plant.
“We had a big mortality,” Baldwin said, as a result of electricity being lost to one of the fish farm buildings. The surviving fish were processed in July and August at the Redkey facility.
Bell’s initial business plan was based on raising perch, but that has transitioned to other fish varieties, including tilapia, trout and salmon.
Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley said this morning he was aware that there had been significant layoffs at Bell’s Redkey facility but stressed that the company is still in operation.
“They did not close,” said Bradley.
The company has experienced cash flow problems and had two major judgments against it in local courts.
Most recently Integral Fish Foods LLC was awarded a judgment of more than $202,000 against Bell.
In May, Daybrook Fisheries Inc. was granted more than $211,000.
Bell expanded its Albany facility in 2014 in what was then described as part of a $30 million investment.
The Redkey processing plant has been in operation since 2008. The company was honored as 2012 Industry of the Year by the Jay County Chamber of Commerce.