© Salmar Aker Ocean
SalMar, which already owned 85 percent of SalMar Aker Ocean, has agreed to buy the 15 percent stake owned by the engineering company Aker in return for one million new SalMar shares, worth NOK 574 million (£41 million), plus NOK 76m (£5.4 million) in cash.
“After thorough assessments and discussions, the two partners, SalMar and Aker, have concluded that the technological development and opportunities for offshore/semi-offshore aquaculture in and outside Norway can be handled more effectively as an integrated part of the SalMar Group,” SalMar said in a market announcement last week.
SalMar Aker Ocean will change its name to SalMar Ocean and alongside the changes in ownership, there will be changes in management. Roy Reite and Trine Sæther Romuld, respectively CEO and CFO, have chosen to step down as the company now becomes an integrated part of SalMar.
Anders Fjellheim, previously operations director, will become the new managing director of SalMar Ocean and will report to SalMar’s COO for farming, Roger Bekken.
“I look forward to continuing the work of realising SalMar’s plans for offshore aquaculture. Through several production cycles in our facilities, we have already demonstrated and documented good results, and we have identified interesting and relevant new projects both in Norway and elsewhere,” said Fjellheim in a press release.
“For Trine and me, it is natural to step down when the business is incorporated and led as a wholly owned subsidiary of SalMar. We are both pleased with what we have achieved together with the team and look forward to following the company further from the outside,” said Roy Reite.
“Our ambitions and plans remain unchanged. Realising offshore aquaculture is one of several challenges that the industry and we at SalMar must solve to continue to grow and produce healthy salmon on the salmon’s terms. Roy, Trine, and the rest of the team at SalMar Aker Ocean deserve great thanks for bringing us to where we are today. Now, we at SalMar will together lift SalMar Ocean further to realise the significant potential that lies in offshore aquaculture,” added Frode Arntsen, CEO of SalMar.
