BAADER acquires processing machinery firm SEAC AB

Lübeck, Germany-based processing equipment firm BAADER has acquired Färjestaden, Sweden-based fish processing machinery firm SEAC AB.

SEAC manufactures processing equipment for small pelagic fish including anchovy, sprat, yellow croaker, and for smaller whitefish including blue whiting, Alaska pollock, and hake. Its machines are designed for automatic feeding, nobbing, heading, gutting, and filleting, as well as belly cleaning of pelagic fish and smaller whitefish.

Terms of the transaction, which became effective Monday, 18 January, 2021, were not disclosed.

“Looking into the future and the compatible processing solutions of BAADER, the SEAC technology is a perfect fit for BAADER to further extend our overall product portfolio also among small fish species,”
BAADER Fish Managing Director Robert Focke said in a press release.

SEAC will continue to operate as an independent entity under the SEAC brand, according to BAADER, and all SEAC employees will retain the roles and responsibilities they held prior to the transaction. The acquisition does not affect any of SEAC’s prior supplier agreements and business partner relationships, BAADER said.

“By acquiring SEAC, we are further concentrating our leading role as a provider of complete protein-processing solutions. The need to meet global food demand now and in the future drives us to continuously improve and advance our offerings,” BAADER Executive Chairwoman Petra Baader said. “Boosting the sale of SEAC processing solutions means ensuring that more small fish species will be available for high-quality human consumption.”

The transaction will see SEAC Owner Ulf Grönqvist step down as CEO and BAADER Norway Managing Director Vidar Breiteig take over day-today leadership of the entity as SEAC managing director, with BAADER Denmark Managing Director Anders Lorentzen becoming SEAC deputy managing. Grönqvist will be retained as a consultant to ensure “a smooth transition and integration phase of SEAC into BAADER,” according to the company. 

“Having BAADER as a backbone will ensure continuation and future extension of SEAC and its technology. It will offer our customers both the certainty and confidence needed for current and future investments,” Grönqvist said.

BAADER will continue to manufacture all existing SEAC machinery and spare parts and will continue development projects initiated by SEAC prior to the transaction, according to Breiteig.

“We will ensure that customers will continue to be able to purchase existing and innovative SEAC processing solutions. At the same time, we will work towards generating even more customer benefits by integrating SEAC machinery into additional BAADER solutions and service as well as the supply chain,” Breiteig said.

Photo courtesy of BAADER