Seafood industry investment firm Highwood Harbor – led by Jordan Mazzetta – has acquired Portland, Maine, U.S.A.-based seafood processing and distribution company Nova Seafood.
With the acquisition, Mazzetta said Nova Seafood Ltd will become Nova Seafood LLC. Long-time Nova Seafood owners Angelo Ciocca and George Branco, who have been involved with the company for nearly 35 years, will continue to operate the company “under the same trusted management and practices.”
The size of the transaction was not disclosed.
"We are thrilled to welcome Nova Seafood into the Highwood Harbor family. Angelo, George, and their team have built an incredible legacy over the past three decades, and we are committed to maintaining their high standards and quality that Nova is known for,” Mazzetta said. "Our goal is to continue providing exceptional seafood products to our customers locally and nationwide."
Nova Seafood processes and distributes scallops, haddock, and cod from an 18,000-square-foot facility in Portland. According to a release from Highwood Harbor, it will continue to operate as it always has following the purchase, and all staff members at the company will be retained.
“Nova Seafood operates independently from Eddie M’s Seafood and added trusted and experienced partners Brittany Willis and Rick Whitten to the team,” a release from the company states.
Eddie M’s, also owned by Mazzetta, formed a joint company based out of Plymouth, Minnesota, with American Fish and Seafood Inc. in 2023. Eddie M’s also acquired the distribution business of Morey’s Seafood International in December 2022.
Ciocca said he is excited to join forces with Mazzetta and the team at Highwood Harbor and Eddie M’s.
“This partnership ensures that our dedicated team and valued customers will continue to receive the same level of service and quality they have come to expect,” he said. “I look forward to this new chapter and the opportunities it brings."
