Sunnmøre, Norway-based seafood company Mathias Bjørge has announced a major investment into salmon with support from Marel.
The company is in the process of building a new salmon factory on the island of Ellingsøya, which will employ the world’s most high-tech salmon line, capable of handling 25 fish per minute with the help of AI.
“Our history dates back to 1965, so we have a long tradition of high-quality seafood. The reception our salmon has received in the market is the result of many years of hard work. We can’t wait to open the new factor and produce our own fresh and frozen salmon fillets, in addition to frozen salmon portions locally,” Mathias Bjørge Co-owner Henning Bjørge said.
"At the heart of the factory, we will develop an intelligent distribution center that analyzes the raw material," Marel Sales Manager Hans Marius Martinsen added. "The fish will be automatically distributed and sorted based on the data it collects. This will be the most advanced salmon processing line ever developed.”
Mathias Bjørge is preparing for a major personnel expansion as well, moving from one to two line shifts and aiming to grow from 15 to 60 employees in production.
Marel is a global supplier of integrated systems and standalone equipment for the food processing industry. Chicago, U.S.A.-based John Bean Technologies Corporation (JBT) has been attempting to acquire the company since late 2023. The deal finally went through on 20 December 2024.
Once the merger is complete, likely around 2 January 2025, JBT will change its corporate name and stock ticker symbol to JBT Marel Corporation (JBTM).
