Field Brief — Pacific White Shrimp Venture

Costco DC Walkthrough — Step by Step

For: Deeno (Founder) + The Manager · April 29, 2026 · Costco BC Distribution Centre

Working name: North 49 Shrimp Co. Format: meet & greet on Costco property Conflict-of-interest LIVE on Costco premises — read §1 before anything

READ THIS FIRST. This meeting is happening at the Costco distribution warehouse, not at the shrimp farm site. It is a meet-and-greet / exploratory possibility conversation. Deeno is the guest on Costco's property. The buyers (and the Manager who works there) are showing Deeno their cold-chain operation. Deeno is not pitching, not closing, not committing — Deeno is listening, observing, and asking. The mode is curious-and-prepared, not pitch-deck. Every observation today becomes an input to the real proposal that follows in writing.

Walk-through sequence

Step 0 — Pre-meeting (last 60 minutes before arrival)
Step 1 — Reception & conflict-of-interest framing
Step 2 — Receiving dock & inbound flow
Step 3 — Cold chain: refrigerated + frozen storage
Step 4 — The shrimp case / retail floor (if accessible)
Step 5 — Sit-down: the venture in 3 minutes
Step 6 — Sit-down: certifications & food safety
Step 7 — Sit-down: volume, pricing, channels
Step 8 — The 10 questions Deeno must ask
Step 9 — Closing & next-step capture
Step 10 — Within 48 hours of the meeting
Quick-reference cards

Step 0 — Pre-meeting (last 60 minutes before arrival)

Walk in calm and credible Both

Drive over and last 30 minutes in the parking lot

What Deeno brings (kept light — this is a guest visit, not a pitch)

Notepad (not phone) for capturing the buyers' answers verbatim — phones look distracted
One slim folder with: 1-page venture overview (no financials), regulatory roadmap one-pager — only opened if explicitly asked
Bottled water in the car for after

No business cards today. This is a first-contact meet-and-greet — the relationship is being introduced, not transacted. Follow-up runs through the channel that brought everyone here, not through cards swapped at the dock.

What Deeno does NOT bring

The founder's original business plan PDF (numbers are wrong)
Pricing sheets or volume commitments of any kind
The Atarraya brochure (premature — show it later, in writing)
A camera. Never photograph inside a Costco DC unless explicitly invited

Roles for today

Deeno (Founder): guest, listener, observer, occasional speaker. Modest body language. Lots of "thank you for showing me this."
The Manager: warm-introducer only — first 60 seconds, then steps back. He works at this DC. The optics of his presence at a vendor walkthrough on his own work site are sensitive. He does not lead, does not negotiate, does not stand near pricing discussions.

If the Manager's normal workflow would have him at this DC today regardless, the framing is "I'm here in my personal capacity for this introduction only." If he is here only because of the meeting, the framing is "I asked the buyers to come to a neutral location; this was the most convenient option."

Do not discuss the venture in the Costco parking lot, lobby, or any public Costco area. Cameras and overheard conversations are real. Save substance for the inside conference room.

Step 1 — Reception & conflict-of-interest framing

The first 90 seconds at the DC reception desk Manager leads

Sign-in, badge, escort to meeting room

This is the most important 90 seconds of the day. The Manager has one job: introduce Deeno, frame the relationship as personal & non-procurement, and step back. Doing this on Costco property — in front of Costco buyers, where the Manager works — makes the framing more important, not less.

Manager (verbatim): "Thanks for making time. I want to be transparent up front, especially since we're on Costco property: I introduced Deeno to Costco's seafood program in a personal capacity. I am not involved in any procurement decision related to this venture, I will not be in any pricing or volume conversation today, and I have voluntarily disclosed my relationship to Costco Ethics & Compliance this week. From here, this is Deeno's conversation."

"Deeno is my partner / our partner / we've been building this together." The word partner is legal exposure. Use "founder I'm personally invested with" only if pressed.

"I told the team you'd love this." Even casually. The Manager has not promoted this venture inside Costco. He cannot.

After the handoff, the Manager stays present (you can't disappear at your own DC — that's awkward) but visibly defers to the buyers and to Deeno. If a buyer asks the Manager an opinion on price, volume, or the venture's commercial fit, he says: "That's outside my role on this — Deeno owns that conversation."

If a buyer asks Deeno about the equity arrangement directly

Deeno: "[Manager's name] is a personal investor and made a warm introduction. He holds non-voting shares only and is fully recused from any procurement conversation. We've structured the arrangement in compliance with all ethics policies, and a voluntary disclosure went to Costco Ethics & Compliance this week. If your team wants to see the disclosure letter, I'm happy to forward it."

Step 2 — Receiving dock & inbound flow

Watch how product arrives — this is your future cold chain Deeno observes

First 10–15 minutes of the walk

The buyers will tour you through the dock. Mode: curious guest. Ask, don't lecture. Every observation here becomes input to your operational plan.

Things to notice quietly (and write down after)

Dock-door count + active simultaneous unloads — tells you delivery-window pressure
Trailer types (reefer, dry, ambient) and the temperature display on the seafood reefer
Pallet stack height, slip-sheet vs. pallet-jack workflow
Receiving-paperwork process — paper, scanner, EDI ASN integration
Time from dock-door open to product in cold zone (this is your eventual SLA)
Whether seafood is staged in an ante-chamber or goes straight into the freezer

Things to ask while walking

"What's your typical delivery window for a regional seafood supplier — booked appointments, drop-and-go, or live-unload?"

"What temperature must product hit on the trailer for you to receive it without a deduction?"

"What's your tolerance on a missed appointment — is it a chargeback, a deduction, or just a black mark?"

"What pallet configuration do you most prefer for shrimp — 2-lb-bag master cases stacked tier-and-bond, or floor-loaded?"

Don't volunteer your own logistics solution. You are 8 km from this DC. They will figure it out faster than you can sell it. Just absorb how they receive.

Step 3 — Cold chain: refrigerated + frozen storage

The freezer is where Costco's quality discipline lives Deeno observes

10–15 minutes through the cold zones

This is the single most informative part of the walk. How a DC stores seafood tells you everything about what they expect from a supplier.

Things to notice

Freezer temperature setpoint (look for the digital readout — typically -20°C / -4°F for frozen seafood)
Refrigerated zone temperature (typically 0–4°C for fresh)
Pallet labeling — GS1-128 barcodes? RFID tags? Lot codes visible from forklift height?
Inventory turnover signals — how full is the shrimp section? How fast are they cycling product?
Whether there is a separate live-product holding area (live tanks for lobster typically — does the same exist for shrimp?)
Cleanliness, organization, drainage — Costco's GFSI standards mean these are usually exemplary

Things to ask

"For frozen shrimp, what minimum shelf-life do you require at receiving — 12 months, 18 months, 24 months?"

"For fresh / refrigerated seafood, what's your maximum days-on-hand and how many days of remaining shelf-life do you require at delivery?"

"Do you ever stock a live or never-frozen seafood program at this DC? If so, what's the protocol?"

"What's your traceability standard for a recall — what data do you need on every case to execute a one-up / one-down trace?"

If you see live lobster tanks but no live-shrimp program: that's the gap your venture fills. Quietly note it. Do not pitch it in the moment — write it into the follow-up proposal.

Step 4 — The shrimp case / retail floor (if accessible)

If they walk you onto the warehouse retail floor Deeno observes

5–10 minutes — only if invited

Some BC DCs are co-located with a Costco warehouse retail floor; some are pure distribution. If they walk you out to the floor, this is your free competitive intelligence.

Things to notice in the seafood case

Shrimp SKUs currently on the floor: count sizes (16/20, 21/25, 31/40), packaging (2-lb bag, master case), price per pound and per pack
Country of origin labels — Vietnam, India, Ecuador, Thailand
Kirkland Signature vs. branded — where Kirkland sits, what brands flank it
Fresh shrimp section (if any) — refrigerated packs, "Wild Caught" vs. "Farm Raised" labeling
Any "Local" / "BC" / "Pacific Northwest" shelf-talker programs
Roadshow / Special Event signage — visible cue that the Roadshow program exists

Things to ask gently

"Which of the shrimp SKUs on the floor today is your highest-volume mover?"

"Have you ever run a 'BC-grown' or 'local-fresh' seafood SKU here? How did it perform?"

"Does your Roadshow program ever include a fresh or live seafood vendor?"

Don't openly compare your future product to the SKUs on the shelf in front of the buyers. Just observe. Save the pricing and positioning conversation for the sit-down.

Step 5 — Sit-down: the venture in 3 minutes

Articulate the project briefly when invited Deeno leads

10 minutes total — Deeno speaks for ~3 of them

The buyers will turn the conversation to "tell us about what you're building." Keep it short. Three points, then stop and let them respond.

"Thanks again for the tour. Briefly — we're building BC's first indoor Pacific White Shrimp farm. Phase 1 is twenty Atarraya containerized biofloc units in a Langley/Abbotsford industrial facility, producing about 5,500 pounds a month, year-round. Phase 2 scales that to a hundred units. We're not pitching to compete with Kader on frozen-commodity pricing — that's not where we win. We're competing on freshness, traceability, no-antibiotics-ever, and same-day harvest-to-DC. We're inside 8 kilometres of this building. Twelve-minute reefer drive. No air freight, no twelve-day container."

"We're at the stage where we want your input on whether a domestic-fresh program — Roadshow consignment or BC-regional SKU — is worth structuring formally, before we commit the next round of capital."

Then stop. Let them respond. Their first reaction is data.

Don't pitch financials. Don't quote a price-per-pound. Don't promise a launch date. Don't list every research module. Don't talk for more than 3 minutes without breathing.

If asked technical questions about Atarraya, answer briefly and offer to send a one-pager. Do not pull out a brochure. The brochure is for follow-up email, not the meeting.

Step 6 — Sit-down: certifications & food safety

The honest cert answer Deeno leads

5–8 minutes

Buyers will ask: "What certification do you hold today?" Be honest, then pivot to the roadmap.

"We are pre-operational. We don't hold ASC or BAP today. We've mapped the full pathway: SFC licence and BRCGS Issue 9 within ten to eleven months of first harvest — that's the minimum to ship to you. We're layering BAP 2-star in Year 1 Q4 and ASC farm certification at the sixteen-month mark. We're building the facility to those standards from day one, so audits become a verification, not a remediation."

"Until certification is achieved, we understand we'd be limited to a non-Kirkland regional pathway, or supply under your Improver Programme — which we'd love your guidance on."

Costco's stated requirement (from public docs)

"Only sells farmed shrimp and prawn products that meet the highest bars for sustainability — certified by ASC, BAP 2 star plus, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or rated Best Choice by Seafood Watch."

"Does Costco fund or co-fund supplier development through the ASC Improver Programme for new domestic farms working toward certification?" (Public answer: yes — leverage this.)

"Do you accept Global Markets Programme intermediate-level certification for new suppliers in Year 1?"

"Beyond GFSI / BRCGS, is there a Costco-specific addendum or facility audit we should plan for from day one?"

Step 7 — Sit-down: volume, pricing, channels

The Roadshow / BC-regional framing Deeno leads

10–12 minutes — most important commercial conversation

Critical strategic note: Phase 1 (20 boxes / 1,375 lbs/wk) is too small for a national Kirkland co-pack. It is right-sized for Costco's Special Event Roadshow consignment program or a BC-regional SKU. That's the framing.

"Phase 1 produces about 5,500 lbs per month — we know that's pilot-scale for your network. We're proposing this as a Roadshow consignment trial or a BC-regional SKU pilot, not a Kirkland co-pack. Phase 2 at 100 boxes / 27,500 lbs per month is when the strategic-supplier conversation makes more sense."

"Our value proposition at this scale isn't competing with Kader on $7.50 frozen-commodity. We compete on freshness, traceability, no-antibiotics-ever, and same-day harvest-to-DC. We're 8 kilometres from your Langley Depot — twelve minutes by reefer truck. No air freight, no twelve-day container journey from Asia."

Don't commit to a price-per-pound. Don't commit to a weekly volume. Don't commit to a launch date. Say: "Subject to your guidance and our certification timeline, we're contemplating delivery by Q4 2027."

"What's the minimum weekly volume threshold for a supplier to be economically integrated into your DC network?"

"What's your current landed cost for the SKUs you'd most want to source locally — 31/40 P&D, 16/20 tail-on, or live in tank?"

"Could we explore the Roadshow consignment pathway as our Year 1 entry, before applying for permanent SKU status?"

Costco Canada (Ottawa) is the right buying authority for a Canadian-domestic regional supplier — different from the BC Region office where the Manager works. If today's buyers are US Corporate, ask gently who in Costco Canada we should also be engaging.

Step 8 — The 10 questions Deeno must ask

Listen more than you pitch Deeno owns

Throughout the visit — but especially the last 20 minutes of the sit-down

The single highest-value output of today is the buyers' answers to these 10 questions. Capture verbatim in the notepad.

#	Question	Why it matters
1	What is Costco's current annual shrimp volume for the BC/PNW region, and what % is currently sourced domestic vs. imported?	Sizes the SOM
2	Does Costco have a supplier-development or "Improver Programme" pathway for domestic farms working toward ASC/BAP certification?	Defines the bridge between Y1 (pre-cert) and Y2 (BRCGS) supply
3	What's the minimum viable weekly volume for a shrimp supplier to be economically integrated into the DC network?	Confirms (or moves) the Phase 1 vs Phase 2 line
4	For a new supplier, do you require exclusive supply, or can we maintain restaurant/retail diversification?	Defends the Vancouver-restaurant anchor channel
5	What are typical payment terms for seafood suppliers — Net 30, Net 60, deduction-based?	Working-capital model input
6	Does Costco ever provide volume commitments, forward contracts, or co-investment in supplier processing infrastructure?	Could eliminate $300K+ in our IQF capex
7	What SKUs are you most eager to add or replace in the BC warehouse seafood case?	Tells us what to optimize the production plan for
8	Who is your current primary shrimp supplier for the region, and what are their primary vulnerabilities — tariffs, disease, logistics?	Shows us the displacement opportunity (Kader Exports + tariff cascade)
9	Does Costco require EDI capability from day one, or is there a grace period for new suppliers?	$30–80K systems decision
10	What's the typical timeline from vendor approval to first warehouse delivery?	Calibrates the funding-runway burn

Every answer above shifts a real number in the financial model. Capture verbatim — no paraphrasing during the meeting.

Step 9 — Closing & next-step capture

End on a specific, written next step Deeno leads

Last 5 minutes

Thank everyone by name. Specifically thank the buyers for opening the DC and giving you the tour.
Confirm how the follow-up will reach them — through the Manager, through the introducer, or through whichever channel set up today's meeting. No cards swapped today by design.
Signal a specific written follow-up: "I'll put together a short overview and a Roadshow / BC-regional summary and route it to you through [channel] by Friday."
Ask gently: "Is there anyone in Costco Canada (Ottawa) we should also be engaging on a domestic-fresh program?"
No photos on the way out. Walk to the car before any debrief conversation.

"Thanks again for the tour and for the honest conversation on the cert pathway and volume thresholds. I'll put a short written overview and Roadshow / BC-regional summary together and route it to you through [Manager / introducer] by Friday. And if there's anyone in Costco Canada we should also be engaging on a domestic-fresh program, I'd be grateful for the pointer."

Don't end with "we'll be in touch soon." Always end with a specific date, a specific deliverable, and a specific routing channel.

Step 10 — Within 48 hours of the meeting

Convert the meeting into infrastructure Both

By end of day Thursday, May 1

Send the thank-you email to all attendees — meeting recap + the one specific next step
Capture verbatim every buyer answer to the 10 questions (§8) — paste into the next-session scratchpad
Document every observation from §2, §3, §4 (dock workflow, freezer temps, pallet specs, SKUs on the floor) — these become design inputs
Manager: send the certified-mail disclosure letter to Costco Ethics & Compliance (template in BUSINESS_PLAN_FULL.md Appendix A7) — same-day if not already sent
Update the financial model with any pricing or volume signals from the meeting
Update the cross-module risk register (CP-02 conflict status, CP-04 economics, CP-10 cert timeline)
Schedule the BC corporate lawyer engagement (incorporate North 49 Shrimp Co. Ltd.)
Schedule the AAFC pre-consultation for AgriInnovate
Schedule the CFIA pre-clearance request for live PL import
Draft and send the Roadshow / BC-regional one-pager promised in the closing

Quick-reference cards

Card 1 — Conflict-of-interest script (Manager, on Costco property)

Opening line, verbatim:

"I want to be transparent up front, especially since we're on Costco property: I introduced Deeno to Costco's seafood program in a personal capacity. I am not involved in any procurement decision related to this venture, I will not be in any pricing or volume conversation today, and I have voluntarily disclosed my relationship to Costco Ethics & Compliance this week."

If pressed for an opinion at any point:

"That's outside my role on this — Deeno owns that conversation."

Card 2 — The 3-minute venture pitch (Deeno)

Indoor Pacific White Shrimp; 20 Atarraya boxes Phase 1, 100 boxes Phase 2
~5,500 lbs/mo Y1 → 27,500 lbs/mo Y4
Same-day harvest-to-DC; 8 km from this building
Not competing on frozen-commodity price; competing on freshness, traceability, no-antibiotics, carbon
Asking for guidance on Roadshow / BC-regional fit before next capital round

Card 3 — The cert-path answer

Today: pre-operational, no certifications
10–11 months from first harvest: SFC + BRCGS Issue 9 (minimum to ship Costco trial)
Year 1 Q4: BAP 2-star
16 months: ASC farm + Costco Addendum + full audit stack
Cert stack budget: $100–150K CAD

Card 4 — Five things never to say or do today

DON'T "He's our partner and he's getting us this meeting." (about the Manager)
DON'T "We can deliver $X/lb at Y volume by Z date." (no commitments)
DON'T "Our ROI is 24% and we'll be profitable in Year 1." (founder's original numbers are wrong)
DON'T Photograph anything inside the DC. Cameras off, phones away.
DON'T Discuss substance in the parking lot, lobby, or hallway. Save it for the conference room.

Card 5 — The Berezan answer (if it comes up)

"Berezan's experience is exactly why we're sourcing post-larvae only from a CFIA-pre-cleared hatchery, why we have biological redundancy across 20 independent boxes, and why we have a licensed mechanical engineer's heat-load study before we sign a lease. We've studied that case carefully — it shaped our design."

Card 6 — Closing line for Deeno

"Thank you for the tour and for your time. I'll send you the Roadshow / BC-regional one-pager by Friday and follow up next Tuesday with answers on SKU prioritization. Is there anyone in Costco Canada we should also be engaging on a domestic-fresh program?"

Card 7 — The "guest mode" reminders (Deeno)

You are a guest at someone else's workplace. Walk slowly, listen, thank them for showing you each area.
Don't critique anything you see. Even compliments-with-a-suggestion can land badly.
If you don't know an answer, say so: "That's a great question — let me come back to you in writing within 48 hours." That's a stronger answer than a guess.
Phone in pocket on silent. Notepad in hand.
If they offer coffee or water, accept it. Refusing reads as cold.