The pet industry is not the same as it was 26 years ago when Seachem began in a basement in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Today, the most competitive companies are being bought up systematically and added to the shopping baskets of pet conglomerates that seek to get their foot into every fish bowl, dog door, and bird cage the pet industry has to offer.

This trend is not itself inherently bad or evil, however the resulting bottom-line refocusing of these formerly independent companies is contributing to a troubling loss in the industry for the consumer: a loss of choice and knowledge. Redundant product lines are simplified and unified. Less costly and less knowledgeable staff replaces more expensive and more experienced staff. The passion slowly dies through attrition.

And while the landscape of the pet industry has changed, Seachem's resolve to make a difference has not. Seachem remains as one of the few surviving independent and privately owned pet care companies. Seachem is owned and operated by hobbyists. All of our employees are hobbyists who maintain aquariums at home and at the office. Seachem itself was started because one such hobbyist found the available solutions to aquarists problems wanting. This resulted in Seachem's very first product: Cupraplex (today known as Cupramine). Twenty-six years later Seachem is still approaching old problems in a new way. We offer truly innovative solutions that work better than competing products and save money through increased efficiency and concentration. Our product lines are driven by our passion for the hobby and not necessarily by what is going to yield the highest profit margin. Of course this is a business, but it is a business built upon people's passions. Nobody understands the passion and the problems of hobbyists more than other hobbyists.

We are not so high-minded, however, as to ignore the significance of making a profit, but we have never believed and will never believe that it should be done so at the expense of quality, customer satisfaction, or choice. At what point does the bottom line supersede innovation, quality, experience, or customer service? When should we sell two products when one will work better? When should we use cheaper ingredients at the expense of quality? When should we use inconclusive data as a selling point? When should we discontinue a valuable product line because it is not a top seller? We do not know, because we have never been there; and if we have our way, we never will.

Seachem News >>>>>