A joint venture between marketing and distribution outfit Ice Seafood and two experienced men from Norwegian production companies Seaborn and Ocean Supreme has been formed to supply wholesalers and retailers in Eastern Europe.
New sales, distribution and marketing entity, Icemar Seafood, launched after a successful meeting with banks in Bergen, Norway, November 1st, and all involved are keen to deliver Norwegian salmon to the Continent.
“We feel we’ve been stuck in second gear, but we have five and six gears,” said Alexander Leonchenko, adding, “The ambition is to give good prices both to suppliers and customers, and in that way to create a competitive advantage.”
An increase in expected Norwegian grow-out volumes is understood to have made room for the new company. “We believe in more access (to supplies),” said newly named sales boss, Kristian Almaas, av Ocean Supreme.
Gaining entry to Europe is expected to be tough. Margins have eroded on increased supply and competition from Norwegian and other suppliers.
IceMar’s new owners, however, plan to tap Ice Seafood’s existing supply network for more volume while also acquiring new sources.
“We won’t just be an exporter that sells trout to Europe, we’ll start something new in salmon and trout,” Almaas said.
