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Grimsby’s Northcoast Seafoods has been purchased out by a significant European participant backed by a worldwide large.
The retail-focused producer, grown from a single North Atlantic prawn buying and selling entity by managing director Fridrik Thorsteinsson over the previous twenty years, now operates from a big processing base on South Humberside Industrial Property.
It has been acquired by Dutch enterprise Seafood Connection, a part of the Japanese Maruha Nichiro group.
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Mr Thorsteinsson, who was recognized with a uncommon mind situation final yr, is stepping down from the helm, however will proceed as advisor and procurement director as he battles with the nerve cell-degenerating a number of system atrophy.
He stated he’s “proud and joyful to affix the biggest seafood enterprise on this planet” and is assured that this new relationship will strengthen the UK enterprise.
Seafood Connection chief govt Jan Kaptijn described Northcoast as a “specialised participant within the retail market” stating that “with modern sustainable merchandise it suits completely in Seafood Connection’s imaginative and prescient going ahead,” including that each can complement one another of their respective markets.
He stated: “I’m glad to lastly have an important companion to make the soar throughout the North Sea and be extra energetic within the UK.


(Picture: Getty Photographs)
“This merger and acquisition granted a long-kept want of Seafood Connection; being current via domestically educated corporations and other people in all of Europe’s largest seafood markets. And with Seafood Connection’s confirmed monitor document on the retail market in Europe, Northcoast Seafoods has the potential to create a fair stronger place on the UK seafood market. We’re excited for the rising potential this strategic partnership will carry.”
Mr Kaptijn stated the “very ready” wider administration crew shall be retained, with Adrian Crookes as managing director, having “taken an vital function in Northcoast Seafoods acquisition in addition to within the restructuring of the corporate up to now three years”.
He’s joined by industrial director Christopher Baird, “a key long-time worker who has an vital function within the wholesale and retail enterprise improvement and diversification at Northcoast Seafoods”.
Mr Baird stated: “I’m delighted that Seafood Connection and Northcoast Seafoods shall be working collectively sooner or later. The synergies between the 2 companies will undoubtedly strengthen our place within the seafood sector, which Northcoast has grown considerably over the past 20 years, with the help of its suppliers and clients.”
Mr Crookes stated it was clear all through the method that the tradition of Seafood Connection could be a “good match” for Northcoast Seafoods, including that he was trying ahead to working intently with the brand new homeowners and maximising the advantages from bringing the 2 companies collectively.
Gross sales within the final reported yr, 2020, jumped 20 per cent, giving Northcoast a £112.5 million turnover, with 112 folks employed.
It was a interval wherein Mr Thorsteinsson – who aligned his educational data of the Canadian market with Grimsby’s seafood cluster strengths to begin up, transferring from his native Iceland – purchased out long run Danish backers of the enterprise.
Takeyuki Nakazawa, Seafood Connection’s chief working officer, supervised the undisclosed deal, performing as liaison between Maruha Nichiro, Seafood Connection and Northcoast.
“Ever since I met for the primary time with the administration of Northcoast Seafoods, I got here to the conclusion that Northcoast Seafoods speaks the identical language as Seafood Connection and Maruha Nichiro,” he stated. “We’re positively on the identical web page and share the identical enterprise philosophy. Their particular person native uniqueness in a giant market such because the UK’s made the corporate very interesting to Maruha Nichiro and Seafood Connection.
“Their dimension and affect made it an ideal companion for our all-round geographical growth technique into different components of Europe. I’ve excessive hopes for Northcoast Seafoods and am delighted to have the ability to invite the corporate into our household.”
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