Martin O’Brien
Cascumpec Bay Oyster Company
Martin moved back home to Western PEI and took what he thought would be a temporary job on his dad’s oyster farm.
A little over a decade ago Martin O’Brien was a university student, completing a Master of Business Administration degree in the United States. While he hoped to start a career in the business world when he graduated in 2009, the economy had collapsed and the job opportunities were scarce. Martin moved back home to Western PEI and took what he thought would be a temporary job on his dad’s oyster farm.
What began out of necessity, soon became more and more appealing to Martin. Together, he and his father learned the oyster farming craft. He bought some gear and started oyster plots of his own. Martin quickly discovered that working alongside his family, aquafarming in beautiful PEI “wasn’t so bad after all.” Though other industries were struggling, the oyster market appeared to be “recession-proof” and was booming. Therefore, making aqua farming a permanent career was a no- brainer.
In 2012, Martin bought a processing plant in Coleman, PEI. Now he is the owner and president of the Cascumpec Bay Oyster Company. He farms and proudly markets his oysters all across Canada and the United States. When COVID-19 hit, the company had to pivot quickly. With oysters sold through a new online commerce site, Martin would personally deliver them all over the Island! Some days he’d make between 30-50 deliveries, leaving oysters on the doorsteps of those isolating in their homes.
Martin hopes his business and the entire Island oyster industry will expand even further, creating more and more jobs for Islanders. At Cascumpec Oyster Bay Company, Martin hires employees for a variety of positions, from manual labour to marketing! And the best part, it’s meaningful all-year employment.
In 2012, Martin bought a processing plant in Coleman, PEI. Now he is the owner and president of the Cascumpec Bay Oyster Company. He farms and proudly markets his oysters all across Canada and the United States. When COVID-19 hit, the company had to pivot quickly. With oysters sold through a new online commerce site, Martin would personally deliver them all over the Island! Some days he’d make between 30-50 deliveries, leaving oysters on the doorsteps of those isolating in their homes.
Martin hopes his business and the entire Island oyster industry will expand even further, creating more and more jobs for Islanders. At Cascumpec Oyster Bay Company, Martin hires employees for a variety of positions, from manual labour to marketing! And the best part, it’s meaningful all-year employment.
