Six potential buyers are on the shortlist to acquire the salmon farming operation of Friosur, which offers an attractive 20,000 metric tons (MT) in salmon production to the biggest names in the Chilean industry.
According to a report in the business section of national daily newspaper El Mercurio, the list of potential buyers has been cut down to AquaChile, Multiexport, Blumar, Los Fiordos, Australis, and Invermar. The salmon operation originally caught the interest of some 50 firms when it was put on the market at the beginning of the year.
The company is controlled by Josè Luis del Rìo Goudie and family members, through their Inder investment group, and the acquisition is being managed by Chilean investment bank LarrainVial.
The report said that offers are being accepted until 15 June, and that all six have expressed serious interest. Local newspaper reports in April said that AquaChile had made a USD 200 million (EUR 170.6 million) offer for the company. The larger salmon farmer also has an agreement in place to sell Friosur’s products in the United States.
An unnamed source said that the infrastructure and location of its six farms makes the firm particularly attractive. In total, Friosur has 40 aquaculture concessions in the Aysèn Region, and all are relatively close to the main port and salmon processing hub at Pueto Chacabuco.
The Del Rio family is reportedly interested in focusing its activities away from aquaculture and instead on wild catch species like Southern hake, as well as other industries like construction, in which the family group is active.
