Pittsburgh-based StarKist Co., confirmed yesterday that Andrew Choe, the company’s new chief executive officer and president, will be visiting the territory next week, arriving Monday (Nov. 17).

Choe took over the leadership post on Nov. 1 this year, when out-going boss Sam Hwi Lee retired on Oct. 31. Lee, meanwhile, continues to serve as a StarKist board member.

While in the territory, Choe will be spending time at the StarKist Samoa plant, and will meet with a number of local government and business leaders, according to a company statement.

“It is always an honor to be in American Samoa,” Choe said, adding that once he took over the leadership post, he “wanted to visit American Samoa as soon as possible to show my commitment to the local Samoan leadership and to the StarKist Samoa employees. 

“StarKist Samoa’s ongoing success would not be possible without our employees’ hard work and commitment,” he said.

Responding to Samoa News questions, the governor’s executive assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira said, that as of late yesterday morning he has not been contacted about Choe’s visit to the territory but he is sure that StarKist will call soon or maybe had done so through the governor’s secretary.

Iulogologo did say that anticipated issues that Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga might discuss with Choe, include the recently approved Kiribati treaty with the U.S on fisheries, minimum wage (with the next wage hike set for Sept. 30, 2015) and federal incentives such as the 30A Tax Credit that will lapse soon.

“There is always concern with the supply of water and the water pressure especially with the forecast drought next year,” Iulogologo said, adding that the other issue of concern is the impact of Tri Marine International’s inception of its Samoa Tuna Processors Inc., cannery dealing with the supply of available labor “as it is anticipated that StarKist could lose workers to Tri Marine.”

(See yesterday’s Samoa News edition on two stories dealing with U.S. and Kiribati.)

During his week-long visit, Choe will be joined by Nabil Salib, vice president of operations; Michelle Faist, senior manager of corporate affairs (who has also been the company’s spokesperson) and Linda Gilbert, manager of human resources.

Before being appointed to the CEO post, Choe was senior vice president of supply chain as well as the Director of Strategic Planning and Development for StarKist, a subsidiary of South Korean based Dongwon industries.