At least 500 people are expected to be employed at the new tuna cannery in American Samoa, once processing begins.
Tri Marine International is still waiting for approval for a 30 million dollar loan from the US Department of Agriculture to fund Samoa Tuna Processors in Pago Pago.
However, the vice President Dan Sullivan says they are financing the rebuilding at the old Samoa Packing plant with their own money while waiting for a decision.
He says the renovation work is expected to be completed by the middle of next year and once processing begins, staffing levels will start off in the hundreds.
"Initially within the first year, and these are just real rough estimates, but it'll certainly exceed 500, probably more like 750 and then it'll grow from there, certainly over a thousand in not too long as the market develops."
