Maruha Nichiro sells Peter Pan Seafoods to PE firm, former owner of Cooke salmon farming operation

The company announced in February it was looking to sell off the company, which traces its roots back to 1898 in Alaska.

Maruha Nichiro-owned Peter Pan Seafoods, one of Alaska’s oldest salmon processing companies, has been sold to a group of investors that includes Rodger May, the former owner of Washington State salmon farms now owned by Cooke Aquaculture, and private equity firm McKinley Capital Management.

Officials at Maruha Capital Investment Inc. which owns Peter Pan, along with Westward Seafoods, Alyeska Seafoods, Premier Pacific Seafoods and Trans-Ocean Products in the United States, announced in February it was looking to sell off the company, which traces its roots back to 1898 in Alaska.

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Iberconsa was never likely to attract Asian investment, advisors say

During a webinar, advisors said Spanish fishing firm Iberconsa was unlikely to attract Asian buyers because of its scale and operational complexity; instead, private equity interest is stronger, and the firm would need EBITDA above €100 million to draw serious strategic investors

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Pandemic forces salmon farmers to look at downstream M&A, advisors say

Advisors said pandemic‑related disruptions are pushing salmon farmers to acquire downstream processing and distribution assets to ensure market access, citing Mowi’s vertical integration and noting that Chilean producers facing high freight costs will need to consolidate and integrate with North‑American processors

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M&A advisor: ‘Who’s going to be next Cooke?’

Ignacio Kleiman asked which company would become the next Cooke, noting that Cooke’s stability comes from diversification across species, currencies and regions, and urging the seafood industry to build more diversified, vertically integrated players to mitigate volatility

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Argentina’s largest shrimp firm exploring sale, owner confrms

Conarpesa owner Fernando Alvarez confirmed that Argentina’s largest shrimp company—operating 22 vessels and four processing plants and generating roughly US$165 million in sales—is seeking a buyer to secure future investment as it expands its fleet and recovers from pandemic‑related disruptions

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Mitsubishi, Legend rule out Clearwater bids with Antarctica brought in to drum up global interest

RBC Capital Markets and Antarctica Advisors were hired to attract international bidders for Clearwater Seafoods’ sale after Mitsubishi and China’s Legend ruled themselves out; valuations between C$880 million and C$1.2 billion face Canadian ownership restrictions requiring 51 % domestic control, with potential suitors including Royal Greenland and Maruha Nichiro

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Antarctica Advisors Acts as Exclusive Investment Banking Advisor to Clear Springs Foods, Inc. in its 100% Sale to Riverence Holdings LLC

February 4, 2020 – Antarctica Advisors LLC, the leading Seafood Industry-focused M&A advisory firm, acted as the exclusive investment banking advisor to Clear Springs Foods Inc. (“Clear Springs”), the leading grower and processor of rainbow trout in the US, in its sale to Riverence Holdings LLC (“Riverence”), a neighboring producer of steelhead trout.

Based in Idaho’s pristine Magic Valley, Clear Springs was established in 1966 and since 2000 has been employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”).  The merger of Clear Springs and Riverence creates the largest producer of trout in the Americas with unrivaled expertise ranging from brood stock, farm operations through processing and national distribution.  The scale of the new company will broaden the market for sustainably produced Idaho-raised trout and allow it to offer customers a wider range of quality products, including both rainbow and steelhead trout in fresh, frozen and value-added forms.

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US trout farmer Riverence closes deal for larger rival Clear Springs

Riverence Holdings, a sustainable trout producer backed by TV producer David E. Kelley, acquired larger rival Clear Springs Foods to create the largest US trout farmer with 14 farms, 15,000‑metric‑ton capacity, processing facilities, brood stations and a feed mill, while Clear Springs’ employee‑owners benefit from the sale

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Riverence acquires Clear Springs, creating America’s largest trout producer

The company, backed by a Hollywood TV mogul, now has its sights on re-inventing the US trout market.

Idaho-based Riverence Holdings on Saturday announced it acquired rival trout giant Clear Springs Foods, making the group the largest producer of land-based trout in the Americas.

With the Clear Springs deal, the company’s operations now include Riverence Brood in Washington State and Riverence Farms, and gives it an even stronger position as a vertically-integrated producer.

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