A New Mexico food company began with the fishing trip of a lifetime.
For Rob McCormack, who said he was a former fly fishing guide, the Kamchatka Peninsula that separates Russia and Alaska was a bucket-list item. So in 2016, he said he made the trek north, spending two months away from home.
As it turns out, the Kamchatka area’s natural resources have largely been drained, Rob told Albuquerque Business First. Luckily, he had something to look forward to. McCormack along with his wife Tania agreed to start their own company after the trip.
Six years later, the couple's ambitions have paid off. Their company, called FishSki Provisions, offers dehydrated chile-inspired pasta dishes. The company's products are available at more than 500 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Sales at a national retailer are set to start this summer, Rob said.
Now FishSki wants to boost production.
“We’ve got our own facility. We’ve got the machines,” Rob said. “Our goal is to be able to run them multiple times a week.”
FishSki is based out of a kitchen space in Alcalde with room to grow.
Nearby is a Hoy Recovery center, which helps people recover from substance addiction. Hoy has also helped staff FishSki’s kitchen, according to Rob. JR Sandoval, a substance abuse counselor at Hoy, confirmed the partnership.
Workers at FishSki package products and operate machines while earning between $14 and $20 per hour. FishSki retailers are in the U.S. and Canada, he said. The company offers green and red chile macaroni and cheese and green chile grits.
FishSki has a focus on the outdoors, but it’s not only hikers and bikers who show interest in FishSki. Rob said healthcare workers have been purchasing the dishes in addition to those driven home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
