Amanda Wlaysewski started working in the fish industry six days after she graduated from Butte Central in 2003.
What she thought was a summer job, turned into career. Every summer since, she has gone to Bristol Bay, Alaska to work. She founded the Kvichak Fish Co., and for the last 15 years she has run her own small processing facility. She will be heading north again later this month.
Amanda describes her community supported fishery model as “salmon gone girl scout cookies.” Her company takes orders in the spring and delivers them in August across Montana and Idaho. You can also by their product at the Farmers’ Market each summer in Butte.
(Click here to visit the Kvichak Fish Co. website and place and order.)
Shortly after her first summer in Alaska, where they work basically around the clock for several weeks, Amanda enlisted her brother, Ben, an Iraqi War veteran who teaches industrial arts at Butte High School.
Ben is now “deployed” to work with Amanda and their sister Alena every summer. At one time or another, all the Wlaysewskis have put in a summer working for the Kvichak Fish Co.
Listen in as they talk about how they learned their strong work ethic from working around their “Wrigley Field house” on the corner of Washington and Platinum Streets.
Listen as they talk about how their mother, who was my excellent English teacher at Butte Central Junior High School, gave up her prized RV so Amanda could make a down payment on her property in Alaska.
Listen in as they talk about the process that they go through every summer in Bristol Bay. Listen in as they talk about how the Kvichak Fish Co. really is a family affair for the Wlaysewskis.
Listen as Amanda talks about how the Kvichak Fish Co. got a major assist from George Everett and the Farmers’ Market.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warrantee. Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
