Alesund, Norway-based seafood company Mathias Bjørge is expanding its offerings to include farmed Norwegian salmon, supported by its construction of a new factory featuring a salmon-processing line.
The company, founded in 1962, remains family owned. Initially, it focused on producing and selling dried and salted fish. It expanded into Norwegian red king crab and is now looking at salmon as an opportunity to tap into the seemingly bottomless appetite for Norway's most lucrative seafood export.
"The introduction of salmon from Mathias is proof of our commitment to providing high-quality Norwegian seafood. We are proud to offer both fresh and frozen salmon reflecting our values of quality and integrity," the company said in a press release.
Mathias Bjørge's new facility is scheduled to be completed in 2025, is a crucial element of the company’s effort to strengthen its presence in the global seafood market, it said. The facility will employ 20 to 30 workers, and focus on processing and sales of value-added farmed salmon products.
“As a medium-sized family company, we have a great level of flexibility and customer service. This is appreciated by many clients around the world, and will also be important in the future,” Mathias Bjørge CEO Torgeir Bjørge told SeafoodSource. “Quality and sustainability has always been important to us at Mathias, and we feel it is our responsibility to give consumers around the world the best possible experience when enjoying a nice dinner eating our products. Our focus on sustainability using only sustainable raw materials, combined with our experience in processing, gives the consumers confidence in and appreciation of our products.”
The company recently hired Lars Magne Haram to lead its expansion further into the salmon market. A fish health biologist by traning, Haram will serve as a partner and general manager of the firm's salmon operations and will spearhead its Norwegian farmed salmon initiative.
“It is very motivating to be involved from the start. We are going to create something completely new,” Haram said in a release.
Haram has an extensive background in the Norwegian seafood sector, having previously worked with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and at salmon aquaculture firms Mowi and Hofseth.
The company also announced Henrik Holen has been appointed sales manager. Holen brings a decade of experience in logistics and sales and also worked at Hofseth.
