Ålesund, Norway-headquartered Hofseth, a vertically integrated seafood company, has chosen Marel and MMC First Process to outfit an extensive refurbishment of its Ålesund processing facility.
A Hofseth release about the news said that the company “is thrilled to be benefiting from two well-known, trusted suppliers working in alliance to improve efficiency and quality to boost their business.”
In order to expand capacity without renovating the existing processing facility’s building, Hofseth will be moving, it said, from a single lane Marel grader to a dual lane Marel whole fish grading solution. The new solution, which will increase both capacity and flexibility, was built for the site by Samey Robotics in collaboration with Hofseth, Marel, and MMC First Process.
The new grading solution was a product of the expertise of all stakeholders involved, the company said. According to Hofseth, “the line will consist of a dual-lane Whole Fish Grading Solution with integrated AXIN Software delivered by Marel. From MMC First Process the solution consists of a spiral tank for cooling and continuous outfeed of fish, along with an empty box solution with 200 percent increased storage capacity, and a high-speed lid applicator. Packing Robots from Samey Robotics with AXIN Dynamic Palletizing software are completing the process.”
Marel and MMC First Process entered a strategic partnership in early 2024, when the two companies decided that together they could offer “a single stop to simplify the purchasing of solutions from aquaculture through further processing, including equipment, software and on-going support for customers.”
Hofseth has grown, since its founding in 2005, from a salmon processor to a vertically integrated company which dubbs itself a “farm-to-table” producer of salmon and which is a major supplier to the U.S. market.
The company, in a bid to cut emissions, has planned to stop using air freight, and made news in early 2024 after it announced it would be building a new handling facility in the U.S. where it could defrost salmon delivered to the U.S. via ocean freight.
In November 2024, the CEO of Hofseth North America, Erik Nobbe, left the company and was replaced by James O’Sullivan, formerly Hofseth NA’s chief financial and legal officer.
