Catch of the day
Jamie Massey (right) and son BJ (left) on their boat.
Small Michigan business is a family affair
March 26, 2025
Long ago, Charles Massey instilled in his family appreciation for the outdoors and Great Lakes.
That deep appreciation is a legacy that today serves as the foundation of the St. Ignace, MI-based Massey Fish Company, now spanning six generations.
Including Massey’s wife, sons and two brothers, the family business employs approximately 30 people during the peak season of spring through fall and approximately 10 throughout the year.
Massey Fish Company crew using a pin bone machine.
A Massey Fish Company worker holding a King Salmon.
With technological advances in processing, the company in the early 1980s began providing area restaurants with fresh and frozen fillets and branched into other markets.
The Massey family handles most infrastructure problems, and their skills as Jacks-of-all trades have offered Massey keen understanding of how things work—including Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline in the Straits.
“We must protect the environment. Preserve the waters of the Great Lakes now and for generations to come.”
—Jamie Massey, Massey Fish Company
“I understand the physics of that pipeline and how it works,” said Jamie Massey.
“Line 5 is amazing, hardy and built well. It has operated safely for more than 70 years and yet Enbridge is bending over backward to put a better system in place.” Massey is referencing Enbridge’s Great Lakes Tunnel project that would house Line 5 under the lakebed.
While noting Line 5’s important role of safely transporting oil through a pipeline rather than by rail or truck, Massey is steadfast in his commitment to clean energy.
“I care about the environment and believe everyone plays a role,” said Massey. “It’s up to all of us to do the best we can, such as conserving.”
For Massey, his part includes sourcing fish locally and shipping primarily throughout the Midwest. The Company also uses biodegradable packaging and gel packs made from corn.
A haul of fish caught by the Massey Fish Company crew.
Jamie Massey in his family store, Massey Fish Company.
Massey acknowledges that running a family business has its challenges. He cites learning to pace the growth of the business while focusing on diversifying its product offerings as one of the biggest.
"Being on the water commands agility,” said Massey, a licensed commercial fisherman.
“It’s a skill that also comes in handy when running a business. You have to be prepared, proactive and responsive to a variety of circumstances.”
Turning a small family fishing operation into a successful, sustainable business, Massey and his family seem to have found balance.
Every spring, small businesses in the U.S. are recognized through National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day—which, in 2025, will be celebrated on Saturday, March 29.
In 2024, 96.2% of Michigan’s private businesses were small firms, like the Massey Fish Company, with less than 50 workers, according to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.
