Steve Norton’s distinguished career 'lands' Lifetime Achievement tribute at Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards

Steve Norton pictured at Grimsby Fish Market.

A DISTINGUISHED career in the seafood industry spanning 50 years led to Steve Norton “landing” the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards.

Towards the end of last year, Steve Norton, announced his retirement from the role of chief executive of the Grimsby Fish Merchants’ Association, a high profile position in the town’s primary industry he had held for 15 years.

It was a decade and a half that saw transactions worth half a billion pounds completed by those he represented, with the sole traders and major corporates all benefiting from his experience.

Mr Norton enjoyed a distinguished career, playing a key role in a number of innovations, including the development of chilled fish which now makes up the largest part of the retail seafood market.

He joined Rossfish in 1966 – quite a year – and went on to work in various roles for Findus, Nestle and Young’s Seafood. He joined the latter as Marks & Spencer and Waitrose were expanding their fish ranges beyond the freezer cabinets.

Young’s came up with a new concept called chilled fish, both natural fillets and coated, which had a longer shelf life than fresh fish from the traditional slab.

Joining the FMA in 2001 at the invitation of then chairman Bill Hobson, it was a time of great change. The old fish pontoon had given way to a new market and Grimsby’s fishing fleet had all but disappeared, which meant merchants depended almost entirely on Icelandic supply.

But in 2008 that arrangement almost hit the buffers. Following the Icelandic banking crash, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown invoked what was effectively anti-terrorist legislation against Iceland.

This not only caused considerable resentment with our North Atlantic trade partner, but threatened to freeze all financial transactions between London and Reykjavik which meant fish merchants in Grimsby and Hull were prohibited by law from paying for Icelandic fish. The effect could have been devastating for the Humber.

With the help of then Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell and chairman Bill Hobson, the Bank of England was lobbied to put pressure on the Treasury to grant the fish merchants a special dispensation, which saved the day.

In 2011 he led celebrations of the FMA’s centenary, and more recently was instrumental in setting up the promotional and marketing group Seafood Grimsby and Humber, overseeing an industry worth £2.5 billion a year.

But that is just half of the story. A councillor for 30 years, Steve was elected Mayor of Grimsby in 1993, and chaired the economic development department, playing a key role in the development of Europarc and attraction of big business to it.

His commitment was recognised in July 2015 when he was made Honorary Alderman.

In retirement Brian Young, chairman of Seafish, the industry authority on seafood, said: “Steve Norton has served Grimsby, the local authority and community so well. While Steve has worked for Grimsby FMA for the past 15 years, he has spent a career in seafood.

“I would say Steve can be very proud of a distinguished career serving the local authority and the fishing industry. It is sterling work he has done for the benefit of others and we wish to applaud it.”

It is this unstinting effort to support and promote the industry that has been recognised by the Grimsby and Scunthorpe Telegraphs and the Chamber.

The headline sponsors and partners of the 2017 Awards were Phillips 66 and the black tie gala evening was organised by the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Grimsby & Scunthorpe Media Group.

Guests at Scunthorpe’s Baths Hall enjoyed a champagne reception before sitting down to a superb three-course dinner catered by award-winning chef Colin McGurran.

Entertainment was a superb show based on the Phantom of the Opera musical, performed by professional West End actors and local students. The evening was hosted by the One Show’s Helen Fospero.

Thanks go to Grimsby manager Anne Tate for all her hard work in organising the event, and to all the sponsors and supporters of another great evening celebrating the best of business in Northern Lincolnshire.

Here is the full list of winners: