Trident Seafoods announced Tuesday, 12 April its purchase of Pickenpack Vertriebs and The Seafood Traders processing facility in Riepe, Germany.
Trident, the largest seafood company in the United States, is based in Seattle, Washington. The purchase allows it to enter the value-added seafood processing business in Germany.
“For 43 years we have been focused on vertical integration,” Trident Seafoods CEO Joe Bundrant said. “’From the Source to the Plate’ is not only our motto but a fundamental value at Trident. The company we acquired today has long been a major user and marketer of single-frozen wild Alaska pollock, and this is a logical fit for us. Trident can now offer European customers the assurance of full control of our product supply chain at a time when transparency is becoming increasingly important to consumers.”
Frozen fish processor Pickenpack Europe has had financial difficulties and entered into voluntary bankruptcy on 2 December, 2015. The group owns subsidiary The Seafood Traders (TST) and its Riepe processing facility, located on the North Sea in the northwest corner of Germany. Together the companies have 85,000 tons of capacity and annuals sales estimated at more than EUR 250 million (USD 285 million).
“We are excited to welcome the employees of TST into the Trident family and we look forward to growing our business and strengthening relationships with our new customers and suppliers,” Bundrant said.
According to a press release, Trident has sold its products in Europe for more than 30 years. Its European headquarters are located in Lüneburg, Germany and it has sales offices throughout the European Union.
“The opportunity to move closer to the European market is one we have dreamt about for a long time, and we take great pride in this accomplishment,” Bundrant said. “’Genuine Alaska pollock’ is a staple of German fish consumption and it has been recognized by consumers for its superior quality, sustainability and traceability. That’s why it is one of the most popular wild seafood species in Europe.”
