Macduff Shellfish processing factory. (Photo Credit: Macduff Shellfish)

Macduff could buy Stornoway seafood factory

Macduff Shellfish, the most important wild caught shellfish processor in the UK, informed it has in principle agreed to buy Young’s Seafood Limited Stornoway factory. All 33 Young’s workers would keep their jobs and eventually go on to work at the Aberdeenshire premises.

Speaking about the deal to the Stornoway Gazette, chairman of Macduff Shellfish, Euan Beaton commented: “The purchase of Stornoway from Young’s would be the natural progression of a two year relationship. It would open up a number of exciting opportunities for us on the west coast of Scotland.

He added: “Should the sale go ahead, it is very much our intention to continue with buying both whole langoustines and prawn tails. However, our ambition is to expand the shellfish species processed at the Stornoway factory in line with our mission to lead, develop and innovate within selected shellfish species. We are looking to build relationships with fishermen on the Hebrides and west coast to enable us to do that. Our intention, following a full review of the business, would be to invest in the factory looking for sustainable, profitable growth.”

Young’s factory removes shells from prawns destined for scampi and also processes langoustines.

Macduff, which has shellfish processing facilities in Mintlaw near Peterhead, supplies the domestic market as well as exporting its products to the EU and the Far East. In 2012, the firm acquired Scott Trawlers, the biggest scalloping fishing fleet in the UK.

Beaton stated that the move could reaffirm the company’s plans for expansion since the facility at Stornoway could eventually be used to process other molluscs.

And he pointed out: "Over the last 10 years we've quadrupled the size of the business. In the next five years I'd like us to double it again through acquisition deals such as this and through organic growth."

The announcement was made on 31 July. Since it has yet to be completed, the details of the transaction remain confidential. The deal should be finished in September.
 

By Gabriela Raffaele
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Ross House, Wickham Road
City:	Grimsby
State/ZIP:	England (DN31 3SW)
Country:	United Kingdom
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