Fóðurblandan's production facility in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Photo: Haraldur Jónasson / Hari / Fóðurblandan.
BioMar has announced today a significant milestone as it becomes the only global manufacturer with aquafeed production in Iceland. The Denmark-headquartered aquaculture feed specialist has entered a partnership with Fóðurblandan, a well-established Icelandic feed company with more than six decades of history.
The partnership for the manufacture and distribution of aquafeed through Fóðurblandan's production facility in Reykjavik comes with an upgrading of the production facilities to drive improved quality and performance, along with a distribution centre for the current range of existing BioMar product portfolio, which enables year-round, reliable delivery to customers across Iceland.
The collaboration between the two feed companies combines BioMar's global expertise in aquaculture feed manufacturing and nutritional knowledge with Fóðurblandan's extensive manufacturing and distribution infrastructure, as well as its long-established presence in the Icelandic market.
"This partnership gives us a unique opportunity to deliver locally produced, high-quality aquafeed backed by BioMar's extensive R&D capabilities," said Paddy Campbell, Vice President of BioMar's Salmon Division. "Fóðurblandan's experience and strong supply chain infrastructure makes them an ideal partner to support our customers' ambitions in Iceland," he added.
BioMar, which in March announced the acquisition of leading Norwegian aquaculture research center LetSea, closed 2024 with five ASC-certified factories - those in Ecuador, Scotland, and three plants in Chile - and also recently obtained ASC Feed certification for its plant in Costa Rica.
Mike McLeish, BioMar's Business Unit Director for Iceland.
Together with the partnership, BioMar also announced the appointment of Mike McLeish as Business Unit Director for Iceland to lead this new venture. Of him, the Danish aquafeed company said he brings extensive experience in the aquaculture industry, having held leadership and business development positions in multiple international markets.
Joining him as Sales & Business Development Manager will be Johannes Gislason. A native Icelander with a strong background in aquaculture, the company said Gislason will play a key role in expanding BioMar's customer relationships and providing technical and nutritional support.
Finally, Úlfur Blandon, CEO of Fóðurblandan ehf. also valued the collaboration between the two companies. "We are proud to enter into a commercial partnership with BioMar," he said. "With Fóðurblandan's strong presence and extensive knowledge of the Icelandic market, combined with BioMar's world-class technical expertise in feed development, we are forming a powerful alliance to support the future of aquaculture in Iceland."
"Producing feed locally is a major step toward reducing the industry's carbon footprint, and this partnership plays a vital role in building a more sustainable, resilient and domestically driven feed supply chain," he concluded.
According to Fóðurblandan's website, its feed for the Icelandic market is produced from premium raw materials, using as many from Icelandic origin as possible. Examples of local raw materials are fishmeal, fish oil, calcified seaweed, shell sand, or shrimp shells, among others, all sourced from suppliers that apply internal quality control systems to ensure product quality.