Grant Niver graduated from Augsburg in 2013 with a degree in Communication Studies. He credits the decision to make the transition to Minnesota from his home state of Alaska as the top three decisions he has ever made. 鈥淢oving allowed me to experience living in a new state and I met my wife down here,鈥� Grant shared. He also has strong family ties in the state with both his parents growing up in Prior Lake. Although he only spent two years at Augsburg, he developed lasting friendships and discovered his entrepreneurial drive through the courses he took. 鈥淚n the more advanced communication classes, we talked a lot about marketing, business, and how to build your brand,鈥� said Grant. And it was in these classes that the idea to start a business with his family began.听
Starting when he was 11 years old, Grant has fished in Bristol Bay, Alaska on his family鈥檚 boat, Surrender. 鈥淚 would always get seasick growing up, so fishing was never a favorite activity of mine,鈥� he reflected amusingly. As he found his sea legs, Grant鈥檚 passion for catching fish (specifically salmon) and educating others on sustainable fishing grew. 鈥淥ne year, I brought back around 200 pounds of salmon for friends and family in Minnesota and it grew progressively from there.鈥� was established in 2017 with the goal of bringing the world鈥檚 best wild salmon to Minnesotans, directly from the fisherman. Grant鈥檚 father, Mark, runs the boat and Grant and his two younger brothers, Blake and Bryce, make up the crew on deck.听听
SUSTAINABLE FISHING
Sustainability is a core tenet to the Surrender Salmon business. 鈥淲e work closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.鈥� Grant said. Bristol Bay is heavily regulated since it is the world鈥檚 largest sustainable salmon run. It accounts for roughly 75% of the world鈥檚 sockeye salmon supply. 鈥淭hey literally count each and every salmon that escapes up the river to spawn in the lake. Once they reach the targeted 鈥渆scapement number鈥�, the fishing season is open and we are fishing around the clock.鈥� There is a short window to catch fish, and a typical run is from mid-June through the end of July. Flash freezing the salmon within 12-24 hours of catching it is crucial in making sure it stays fresh for consumers for up to two years. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e buying salmon in the Midwest, it’s best to buy frozen and even better to know who caught it,鈥� Grant said. On top of sustainability, all of the packaging they use to ship their salmon is 100% recyclable!听
OPERATING A SMALL BUSINESS
Surrender Salmon previously worked with local businesses such as Lunds & Byerlys in 2018-2019, as well as other local restaurants, but they have since switched to e-commerce. 鈥淚t was a hard pivot to make, but it has allowed us to have a more robust business where we could be in more control,鈥� Grant said. Since transitioning to online-only purchases, they have been able to expand to nationwide shipping. 鈥淥ur first shipping with FedEx is something I am extremely proud of. We鈥檝e come a long way since tabling at farmers markets, gyms, and hand-delivering all of our orders,鈥� Grant said. 鈥淪tarting a business can feel insurmountable, but for anyone interested in pursuing this path, I recommend two things: 1) find a good mentor, and 2) find someone you can trust as a business partner. Having those resources will make a huge impact.鈥� In fact, one of Grant鈥檚 high school friends, Stuart Krueger, moved to Minnesota in 2016 and has taken the lead on helping Surrender Salmon鈥檚 marketing and reach. 鈥淲e definitely would not be where we are today without him.鈥澨�
Now that Grant鈥檚 business has grown in recent years and he has found himself shipping salmon to some Auggies, he is thrilled to share his family鈥檚 story with more people in the community. 鈥淚 am so grateful to Augsburg and I鈥檓 appreciative of any opportunities to pay it forward and make more connections by raising awareness about what Surrender Salmon is all about.鈥澨�