Frederick Bouisset has been let go as CEO of Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, France-based Labeyrie Fine Foods, with the company replacing him with two of the company’s executives.
Jacques Trottier, formerly Labeyrie’s managing director of premium and trend foods, and Steve Lawson, previously the company’s group finance director, have been named co-CEOs, according to LSA, which covers the retail and consumer goods industries in France.
"The shareholders of the Labeyrie Fine Foods Group have decided to continue supporting the Labeyrie Fine Foods Group, by giving new impetus," a company statement acquired by LSA said.
Labeyrie produces and distributes value-added seafood and other food products to European retailers under the Labeyrie, Delpierre, Blini, Comptoir Sushi, and Ovive brands. It is widely known in France as a foie gras specialist. It also owns and operates Lyons Seafoods and Farne Salmon and Trout in the United Kingdom, and a 50 percent stake in Group Aqualande, a French trout aquaculture operation. The company recorded EUR 1 billion (USD 1.1 billion) in sales in the 2017-2018 financial year, with 70 percent of that total coming from seafood products, according to its annual financial report.
Bouisset had served as CEO since May 2017. Prior to joining Labeyrie, he had been president and CEO of Lactalis American Group, and has served in executive positions at Fleury Michon and Groupe Aoste.
Trottier joined Labeyrie as a sales director in 2003, became deputy general manager in 2008, and rose to managing director in 2010. Lawson joined Labeyrie in January 2019, after having served as group chief financial officer at Cerelia, and previously holding senior positions at Firmenich, Diana, Kongsberg Automotive, and Delphi.
"The complementary expertise of Steve Lawson and Jacques Trottier will enable the implementation of an effective strategy capable of ensuring the dynamic development of the group over the long-term,” Labeyrie said in its press release, per LSA.
LSA reported Labeyrie recorded poor results from this year’s holiday season. It had been considering an initial public offer in 2018, but that effort ended last year, according to Capital Finance. However, private equity firm PAI, which owns 43 percent of Labeyrie, is seeking to sell, with Basque cooperative Lur Berri retaining its stake.
In September 2019, Le Figaro and Agence France-Presse reported Labeyrie would be closing its Delpierre salmon processing plant in Wisches, France, resulting in the transfer or layoff of 150 employees. Production was moved to Fécamp and Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, according to a Labeyrie representative, who said the plant was closed due to increased foreign competition from Polish processors, the low margins of the work it performed packing for private labels, and its remote location.
In 2018, Labeyrie collected the Best Retail Product award in the Seafood Excellence Global awards for its Christmas Smoked Salmon. The product was chosen from among 40 by a panel of seafood experts who judged by taste, overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation.
Photo courtesy of Frederick Bouisset/LinkedIn
