September 27, 2010

Morpol acquires another smoked salmon producer

Morpol ASA on Friday (Sep 24) further strengthened its position in the smoked salmon market, acquiring a 100% interest in Brookside Products Ltd., a Cumbria, UK-based smoked salmon producer, for GBP1 million (US$1.6 million).

This is the Ustka, Poland-based salmon processor's fourth acquisition in the past two month.

Last month, Morpol purchased Mainstream Scotland from Cermaq ASA-its first step into salmon farming-followed by Orkney, Scotland-based organic salmon farmers Westray Scotland Ltd. and Rysa Salmon. 

Brookside has an annual production capacity of about 1,500 tonnes of finished product and controls roughly 10% of the UK smoked salmon market. The company is expected to post 2010 sales of GBP12 million (US$18.9 million).

Brookside holds the contract to supply John West and British retailer The Co-operative Group with private-label smoked salmon.