Mericq makes fourth acquisition since 2016

Agen, France-based seafood group Mericq has continued its acquisition streak with the purchase of Mariscos Wildomar.

Founded in 2008 by William Goulay and Henry Izquierdo, San Sebastián, Spain-based Mariscos Wildomar is shellfish specialist concentrated on the Spanish and French markets.

“The team saw in the company of Mariscos Wildomar, a major ally with exceptional know-how, [an avenue] to continue its international expansion,” Mericuq Director-General Bruno Sachet said in an announcement from the floor of the 2023 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, Spain. “The acquisition of this Spanish player is a new realization of our ambition: to open new markets by offering unique sourcing know-how in Europe and a personalized customer experience.”

The acquisition is Mericq’s fourth since 2016. It bought Roscoff, France-based crustacean-fishing firm Groupe Béganton in 2016, Blainville-sur-mer, France-based shellfish farmer Kermarée in 2018, and Galway, Ireland-based wild-caught shellfish fishing firm Breizon in 2022.

The family-owned business has quadrupled in size over the past decade and is planning to expand its presence across Europe through both organic and acquisitive growth, it said in a press release. It recently opened a processing facility and sales office in Corrèze, France, capable of receiving a wide range of seafood products from various European ports and supplying the French communities of Dordogne, Lot, Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, and Cantal. It operates similar distributions centers in Agen, Niort, Bordeaux, Carcassonne, Avignon, and via the Corrèze facility, Donzenac. 

In January 2023, Mericq announced a rebrand as it expanded its services to include service to retailers, e-commerce, fishmongers, restaurateurs, foodservice distributors, and wholesalers in France and across Europe. As part of that announcement, it launched a new product, SNØ premium salmon. Its other signature products – attained through its previous acquisitions – are Cadoret oysters, wild-caught lobster, crab, prawns, and smoked fish.

Photo courtesy of Mericq