A local business in Knox County held a ribbon cutting Tuesday to celebrate its newly expanded warehouse. Sitka Seafood Market, formerly known as Sitka Salmon Shares has operated in Galesburg since 2011. Employees with Sitka Seafood Market showed off their brand new space Tuesday morning, after the company made expansive changes to its warehouse.

“We’re committed to the city,” said Gerardo Canales, the CEO for Sitka Seafood Market. “The company started as a very small local endeavor here in Galesburg.” The market offers sustainable wild-caught seafood from Alaska, and delivers to homes all over the country. “They started shipping regionally,” Canales said. “They did in the Midwest, then they went to the upper Midwest. Now, we’re a national company and shipping across the entire United States.”

The Galesburg Chamber of Commerce says the expansion will help residents.

“What Galesburg and Knox County bring to the table is that ability to make an imprint locally at this community level,” said Pam Gaither, executive director for Galesburg’s Chamber of Commerce. The company and the city aren’t the only ones to benefit: The expansion will also bring new jobs to the area.

“This is a company that has had a very strong growth trajectory over the last few years,” said Ken Springer, a part of the Knox County Partnership for Economic Development. “We’re very excited that they call Galesburg home. We’re hoping that they continue to expand and add jobs in the future.”

Despite major companies leaving the state of Illinois, Sitka Seafood Market decided to stay with the City of Galesburg. “Like a lot of businesses can go anywhere,” Springer said. “And to see a company investing in the community over the course of a decade is very gratifying to see. They’ve been super cool to work with and we’re glad they’re here.”

Sitka Seafood Market plans to expand more in the future. “We plan to be here for as long as we’re in existence,” Canales said.