After suffering a fire in 2018, Van der Lee Seafish constructed a new building that opened the following year and greatly expanded its storage capacity.
Photo: Van der Lee Seafish.
Seafood Connection Holding (SFCH), a subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Corporation, announced that it has completed the acquisition of a 70% majority stake in Dutch processing company Van der Lee Seafish (VDLEE), thus expanding its presence in Europe, while enhancing value chain integration and accelerating the global growth ambitions of the Japanese seafood giant.
According to the release announcing the acquisition, it is part of the Maruha Nichiro Midterm Management Plan 2025-2027, which identifies Europe as a key growth region and emphasizes sustainable growth through vertical integration and international expansion.
However, for SFCH, this transaction also represents an acceleration of its own strategy, combining organic growth with selective mergers and acquisitions.
"It's true Seafood Connection is always eager to expand our product range and sales network for frozen seafood," said Jan Kaptijn, CEO of SFCH. "Next to our organic growth, M&A is an important way to speed up our growth into the European market. Also from Maruha Nichiro's side – confirmed in their latest mid-term plan 2025–2027 – there is a strong interest in expanding their overseas network, whereby Europe is one of their focus areas."
Producers, wholesalers, and distributors of frozen fish and seafood, Van der Lee Seafish is one of the leading seafood suppliers in the Netherlands. Of their alliance, SFCH highlighted that the Dutch processing company brings modern production facilities and in-depth expertise in Atlantic fish species and value-added products, such as breaded and pre-fried fish and plant-based alternatives.
From Seafood Connection, they noted that these value-added processing and sourcing capabilities in the Atlantic highly complement its product offering and align perfectly with its growth ambitions in the convenience segment. "Given our strong position in the European retail market, this is a welcome extension to our assortment," said Klaas Hakvoort, COO of SFCH.
For its part, parent company Maruha Nichiro - which holds approximately 27% of Pollock's total U.S. share - recognized Van der Lee as a strategic processing partner that brings significant value within the supply chain.
From harvesting - with examples such as its bet on a new aquaculture species in Japan - and processing, to distribution and branding, the Japanese seafood corporation - which next year will change its corporate name to Umios - is investing in building an end-to-end value chain globally, an approach that is also central to this transaction.
Beyond simple volume increases, Seafood Connection expects the integration of Van der Lee Seafish to generate substantial strategic synergies. Already with Seacon Production in the group, complementary production capabilities allow for specialization and efficient processing, but VDLEE's portfolio of value-added Atlantic products - including breaded, battered, and natural fillets - will provide a powerful extension to SFCH's existing range.
In addition, through this acquisition, VDLEE's specialty products will be introduced into SFCH's strong network of local European presence in both the wholesale and retail channels, significantly expanding its reach and visibility. At the same time, the alliance with VDLEE will strengthen Seafood Connection's position in the foodservice segment, where it has traditionally had a limited presence.
"This mutual channel expansion allows both companies to serve a wider audience and optimize their sales mix," SFCH said in its release. "Together, the companies are laying a strong foundation for future-proof growth in Europe and beyond – in line with the evolving demand for sustainable, high-quality, and flexible food solutions," it added.
Together but not in each other's pockets, as both companies will continue to operate under their current brand names and maintain their existing teams and structures. "We will keep doing what we do best: delivering top-quality products every day with our dedicated team," said Willem van der Lee.
