“Disproving recent rumours circulating in the market, the Schörghuber family group, owner of the salmon company: Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A. has confirmed that it has stopped the sale process of the Chilean company, structured last year”. These are the resounding words that begin the Chilean salmon company’s announcement confirming that it will continue to be owned by the German family group.
Not-so-unfounded rumours
Through a publication on LinkedIn, Ventisqueros made it clear that the company is not for sale. However, in its statement, the company acknowledges that rumours of such a possible sale transaction had some basis.
“As a skilled shareholder”, they say, “Schörghuber Group proactively tested the waters to determine whether Ventisqueros’ excellent economic performance would meet the group’s expectations regarding the company’s value”. But then came the economic crisis.
According to Ventisqueros, the sale process indicated that the macroeconomic changes brought about by the new global economic situation have had a massive negative impact on the financial markets and thus on the global M&A climate.
“Therefore, the Munich-based owner has decided to stay the course and focus on building on the current positive momentum in the salmon farming industry. Together with the outstanding team in Chile, the Schörghuber Group will continue to add new chapters to a success story that dates back to 2001”, they conclude.
Sustainable and technologically advanced operations
Over the past ten years, Ventisqueros has increased its production volume from 20,000 gross tons to more than 47,000 tons in 2022. The Chilean company’s goal is to reach a harvest volume of 55,000 gross tons in the near future. The good economic and financial results were backed by an investment of more than USD 100 million in maritime infrastructure, biomass growth, and personnel hiring.
“These investments have created one of the most sustainable and technologically advanced operations in Chile”, says the statement, which highlights in particular that Ventisqueros has been a pioneer in the industry with the use of remote feeding based on artificial intelligence.
For his part, José Luis Vial, CEO of Ventisqueros, thinks this decision to halt the sale process is consistent with the Schörghuber Group’s overall business approach. “Since the Schörghuber family took control of the company more than twenty years ago, they have maintained a responsible and pragmatic management style. They evaluate every strategic option in the same way as each of their investments, most of which are decades old”, he said.
About Ventisqueros & Schörghuber Group
Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A. is a subsidiary of the German Schörghuber Stiftung & Co. Corporate Group producing food and protein from its own Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon farms. The company has operations in Chile and an annual production of approximately 45,000 gross tons of salmon. As of December 2022, it employed around 1,400 people.
The Schörghuber Group is a value- and impact-oriented family-owned conglomerate. It operates in the real estate, hotel, food and brewing sectors. The Schörghuber family has been doing business in Chile for almost half a century, mainly through its majority stake in the beverage conglomerate Compañía Cervecerías Unidas S.A. (CCU), together with the Chilean Luksic family.
