About: NaturalShrimp, Inc. is a publicly traded AquaTech Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with production facilities located near San Antonio, Texas. The Company has developed the first commercially viable system for growing shrimp in enclosed, salt water systems, using patented technology to produce fresh, never frozen, naturally grown shrimp without the use of antibiotics or toxic chemicals. NaturalShrimp systems can be located anywhere in the world to produce gourmet-grade Pacific white shrimp.
Natural Shrimp, Inc’s (OTCQB: SHMP) CEO Bill Williams discusses the company’s recent joint patent and how their technology is positioned in the Aqua-tech market. Have a listen here and read transcripts below:
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INTERVIEW TRANSCIPTS:
WSA: Welcome back listeners to the Wall Street Analyzer’s CEO Interview Series. Today we are joined by Bill Williams, he is the CEO of NaturalShrimp Incorporated, trading on the OTC, ticker symbol SHMP. Thanks for joining us today there Bill.
Bill Williams: My pleasure, thank you.
WSA: Yeah, certainly. So please start off by providing us an overview of the company as having an agro-tech company on the program is pretty unique.
Bill Williams: We have been referred to as an agro-tech company but we are actually an aqua-tech company. This is a technology that we have worked on for many years, about 18 to be exact. 15 of those years were in total R&D and the last three have been putting together the knowledge that it took to create the equipment. Our equipment was designed for us by F&T Solutions.
We have just completed our last test run and it has been incredibly successful. We are growing shrimp in volume and that’s what you have to be able to do in this business. Growing shrimp in volume in an enclosed-system is very difficult. To our knowledge, we’re the only company that has been able to do it successfully.
WSA: So yeah, can you talk about some of the patents that you have in play?
Bill Williams: We have filed a joint patent with our technology partner, F&T Solutions. In that patent,, NaturalShrimp, Inc. has a 100% allowance worldwide for the growth of shrimp in enclosed, recirculating systems. As part of that patent, we also have a 50/50 joint venture with F&T for other aquatic species such as barramundi, lobster and other fish. Our patent was issued on December 25th, 2018 and we will file for worldwide patent protection within the next three or four months.
WSA: So yeah, explain a little bit, so it’s called Vibrio Suppression Technology, it helps to keep harmful bacteria away from the shrimp?
Bill Williams: The technology utilizes electric coagulation; in simple terms, we electrify the water. That kills all of the bacterial organisms and it also controls ammonia. If you are going to grow shrimp or any other kind of fish in an enclosed, recirculating system, you have to be able to control both of these factors. Most companies who try to develop this technology can control bacteria but can’t control ammonia. Vibrio is the bacteria that is most prevalent in enclosed recirculating systems.
WSA: So what are some of the other applications and obviously you’re known for shrimp, but there is other kinds of things that you could farm, right, like salmon and other fish?
Bill Williams: Shrimp is the largest selling aquatic species in the world. More people eat shrimp than any other kind of fish. We could work for the rest of our lives and never meet the total demand for shrimp. Of course, we are able to grow any kind of fish species. We have an enclosed, recirculating system, which means that we can come to New York and rent warehouse space on 42nd Street or wherever we want, install our equipment and start growing shrimp immediately. No effluent, no water goes back into the system, everything is recirculating and we can put these all over the world. We don’t have to build facilities, we can rent warehouse space.
WSA: Yeah, I’m sure that’s necessary in places like the Central US where you’d have access to the natural shrimp in the oceans.
Bill Williams: The problem with growing shrimp along salt water sources is it that it destroys the estuaries. You can go into an ocean estuary, scrape out 10, 15, 20 acre ponds and grow shrimp for two or three years. Generally, by this time you have decimated the estuary and you have to move to another area and eventually decimate it also. Additionally, the effluent from growing the shrimp is returned to the ocean, creating a biological hazard in the coastal estuary. Our system is recirculating and doesn’t have to be connected to salt water estuaries, consequently has no negative effect on the costal environment.
WSA: Yeah, it sounds like you have some great implications there in the market. So in terms of the public company what are some of the key drivers that investors should be aware of?
Bill Williams: When we talk about growing shrimp or fish using our recirculating system; the major point is that we don’t have to be next to salt water, we can be anywhere. That changes the nature of aquaculture. Our technology allows us to grow shrimp and any other type of fish anywhere in the world, something that has been very elusive for other companies.
This is a very complex technology. We were in R&D for fifteen years, trying to figure out how to control bacteria and ammonia. Controlling ammonia was the biggest hurdle and we finally learned how to do it. Even if a company knows that ammonia is causing their problem, controlling it is entirely another situation. To our knowledge, there is only one way to control ammonia and that’s the way we do it. There are companies that can grow shrimp and fish in small ponds and sell some locally but they cannot change the nature of aquaculture with that approach and they can’t do what we are doing.
WSA: Yeah, I mean, I guess it kind of sounds counterintuitive. You’re electrifying water, so it’s kind of like the opposite of what you kind of brought up to think of safe.
Bill Williams: I will make it as simple as I can but in fact it’s obviously more complicated than that. Out system kills bacteria and it also controls ammonia and it’s the only technology we’ve ever found that can do this.
WSA: Yeah, no, you got to keep that one closer to the vest.
Bill Williams: Even if you know what has to be done, you still have to figure out how to do it. There is only one way to do this that we have ever found in eighteen years of development. When we started, my partner, Gerald Easterling and I had collaborated on precious technologies and we were very successful. However, if we had known then what we know now, we probably would have never gotten involved with this technology because it is incredibly complex.
WSA: Yeah, there is no turning back now. So what are the main goals and milestones that you’re looking at there with a course of the next 6 to 12 months?
Bill Williams: We have run our last test with our new equipment and it has been very successful. We have ordered two more of our redesigned units from the manufacturer for installation at our facility in in La Coste, Texas, which is about 30 minutes from San Antonio, Texas. We have sixteen tanks, ranging from 45,000, 55,000 and 65,000 gallons and we will fill those tanks with shrimp and get back into full production. Once we get back into full production with our existing facility, we will build another facility at the property we own there.
WSA: So yeah, can you talk a little bit about your background, your experience and some of the key team members there?
Bill Williams: I was Chairman and CEO of a holding company for several years and have been involved with technology development for several years with my partner, Gerald Easterling., I am Chairman and CEO and he is President and Chief Operating Officer of NaturalShrimp, Inc., We have developed this technology along with our other partner, Tom Untermeyer, who is Chief Technology Officer of the Company. Bill Delgado, a Board Member and Chief Financial Officer, is a well-known businessman and public company consultant..
WSA: Certainly yeah, and you also have a celebrity chef onboard?
Bill Williams: We have a chef in Dallas, Texas, who is our major marketing consultant. We have grown thousands of pounds of shrimp over the past few years and have considerable experience in marketing, mainly to high end restaurants. The problem with marketing shrimp is that you have to be able to provide the shrimp consistently. If the customer buys shrimp from you, you have to be able to provide it to them again the next time they want it, which means you have to produce shrimp consistently.
That is where other enclosed, recirculating shrimp systems have a problem; they can’t produce shrimp consistently. They can’t control production and we can. We have people all over the world that want us to come to their areas and set up our system.
WSA: So what do you think Bill are some of the main reasons that investors should take a look at the stock?
Bill Williams: To our knowledge, no one has ever done what we have. Many have tried and some have claimed success but they come and go, with no exceptions. We have spent over eighteen years learning how to do this and we can do it. This is a new, disruptive technology and it can literally change the nature of aquaculture. That is the nature of our technology and it is the same type of investment that was made when computers and cell phones where just ideas We have that kind of potential; the potential to change the entire aquatic industry.
WSA: Well, great. And so once again joining us today is Bill Williams. He is the CEO for NaturalShrimp Incorporated which trades on the OTCQB ticker symbol SHMP. And before we conclude here Bill, is there anything else that you’d like to add about NaturalShrimp?
Bill Williams: No, I think we’ve covered it pretty well. And I appreciate you on your talking with us.
WSA: Yeah, well, we certainly look forward to continue to track the company’s growth and report on your upcoming progress there. And we’d like to thank you for taking the time to join us and update our investor audience on SHMP. It was great having you on.
Bill Williams: Thank you, Juan. I appreciate it.
