Billund’s founders, the Sørensen family, aim to tap into new
opportunities and address demand for the growing RAS market.
Under the new ownership structure, 35 percent of all shares will be held by Havbruksparken Utvikling AS and 13 percent by Okapi Salmon AS. Havbruksparken Utvikling AS is also the majority owner of Aqua Kompetanse AS, a company that provides consulting services to the aquaculture industry.
“Bringing these experienced players into our company is very positive news, especially considering the vast know-how they have gathered in the aquaculture business over the years. Furthermore, our new ownership puts us in a very strong long-term financial position that will help keep us at the forefront of the global market for the development of large-scale RAS projects,” Christian Sørensen, group CEO of Billund Aquaculture, said.
Behind the new shareholders are three Norwegian families with significant and long-standing interests in the aquaculture industry:
– The Refsnes family, which owns part of the salmon producer Refsnes Laks and is the
founder of Columbi Salmon.
– The Lofsnæs family, which also owns the salmon producer Bjørøya.
– The Rasmussen family, which also has major investments in real estate and the software industry.
On behalf of the new shareholders, Director of Investments Pål Berg said: “We are excited about investing in Billund Aquaculture together with the Sørensen family. The world’s need to produce protein in a sustainable manner means the future of the RAS industry is very promising. Billund Aquaculture is the most skilled and experienced supplier to explore those opportunities.”
Billund Aquaculture hopes that these new investors will strengthen the company’s operations globally, including within the Norwegian market, where the company has developed emblematic smolt and post-smolt projects for over 15 years. Billund has significant growth plans with several facilities already in the pipeline.
