What Parlevliet & Van der Plas does

Parlevliet & Van der Plas (PP Group) is a Dutch, family-owned seafood company headquartered in Valkenburg (South Holland) with operational roots in Katwijk dating to 1950. The group is the largest fish-processing company in Western Europe and ranks among the top 25-30 fishing companies globally, employing more than 8,000 people across fishing, processing, and distribution operations in 27 countries. Its business is fully vertically integrated: PP Group catches pelagic species (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) and demersal species (cod, haddock, Greenland halibut) with state-of-the-art freezer trawlers and factory trawlers, operates one of the world's largest tuna purse-seine fleets via its French subsidiary CFTO, and processes shrimp and value-added seafood products through Heiploeg, Ouwehand, Profish, Platvis Holland, and Euro Baltic Fisch. The group sells B2B to retail chains (notably through Deutsche See, which holds the largest self-service fish assortment in Germany), foodservice/horeca operators, and wholesale distributors across Europe and globally.

The technology footprint centers on modern, fuel-efficient vessel design: the new Dutch pelagic freezer trawler (111.5m, Skipsteknisk design, Wärtsilä 32 engine, natural refrigerants, accommodation for 60 crew) and the Jan Maria factory trawler (88.1m, Tersan-built, 7,000 kW Wärtsilä main engine, triple trawling with onboard fillet, shrimp, and fishmeal plants). Eleven-plus fisheries are MSC-certified, including the world's first MSC certification of a tropical shrimp fishery (Suriname seabob shrimp under Heiploeg). Sustainability commitments include SBTi-aligned emission reduction targets at Heiploeg and Ouwehand, 100% green electricity at Dutch production sites, and participation in standards bodies (GLOBALG.A.P., ASC, BAP, Friends of the Sea). Strategic technology partners include Skipsteknisk (naval architecture), Wärtsilä (main engines), and Tersan Shipyard (vessel construction).

PP Group's revenue model combines upstream catch operations (own vessels), midstream value-added processing (consumer-ready products, maatjesharing, smoked fish, breaded fish, canned tuna, sushi, tapas), and downstream B2B distribution to retailers, foodservice, and wholesalers. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has executed ten major acquisitions since 1986, with the most transformative being Heiploeg (shrimp, 2014), CFTO (tuna, 2016), and Deutsche See (German retail/wholesale, 2018); under current CEO Diederik Parlevliet, who took over in 2006, group sales have grown by a factor of seven. Marketing and customer engagement rely on industry events (notably Seafood Expo Global), annual CSR reports, and third-party sustainability benchmarks (Seafood Stewardship Index, Food and Agriculture Benchmark).

Name

Parlevliet & Van der Plas

Legal name

PP Groep Katwijk B.V.

Website

https://pp-group.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Family-owned Dutch seafood conglomerate and largest fish processor in Western Europe, with vertically integrated operations spanning fishing, processing, and distribution across 27 countries, supplying retailers, foodservice operators, and wholesalers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Processing and Distribution

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ready-to-Eat Seafood (Cooked Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Surimi) (AFANALAC), Seafood Specialty & Premium Cuts (Loins, Steaks, Portions for Foodservice) (AFANALAL), Specialty Seafood Co-Products Processing (Roe, Milt, Heads, Frames, Shellfish Meat Recovery) (AFANAJAI)

Keywords

• Seafood processing
• Pelagic fishing
• Demersal fishing
• Frozen fish distribution
• Tuna purse seine

Headquarters

HQ city

Valkenburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fish Catching Operations: PP Group operates fishing vessels across multiple fisheries: pelagic trawling (herring, mackerel, blue whiting), demersal fishing (cod, haddock, saithe, redfish, Greenland halibut), and tuna purse seine operations in Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Their own catch operations represent a significant portion of revenue.
2. Fish Processing and Value-Added Products: Subsidiaries process fish into consumer-ready products including maatjesharing (cured herring), marinades, fried products, smoked products, breaded fish, and prepared seafood dishes. Companies include Ouwehand Visverwerking, Profish Food, Platvis Holland, and Euro Baltic Fisch.
3. Seafood Wholesale and Distribution: Companies like German Seafrozen GmbH and Heiploeg International B.V. trade in frozen fish products (redfish, cod, halibut, pollock) and shrimp/seafood products. Deutsche See supplies retail, wholesale, and foodservice/horeca sectors.
4. Sustainable By-Products: Exploration of circular business models to create value from residual streams not suitable for human consumption, targeting pharmaceutical, pet food, and cosmetics industries.
5. Tuna Products: CFTO produces sustainably caught tuna and tuna products. Deutsche See has expanded into MSC-certified canned tuna products for retail self-service shelves.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Parlevliet & Van der Plas (PP Group) is a vertically integrated seafood company that catches, processes, and distributes fish and seafood products through a global network of subsidiaries. Operations span pelagic trawling (herring, mackerel, blue whiting), demersal fishing (cod, haddock, Greenland halibut), tuna purse seine operations, and value-added processing (maatjesharing, smoked, fried, canned). The group supplies retailers, foodservice operators, and wholesale distributors across Europe, Africa, and other regions.

Product overview

PP Group operates as a diversified seafood company consisting of multiple subsidiary brands across the seafood value chain. The company encompasses pelagic fishing operations (Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V.), demersal fishing (Doggerbank Seefischerei GmbH, Mecklenburger Hochseefischerei GmbH), tuna fishing (Compagnie Française du Thon Oceanique), fish processing (Ouwehand Visverwerking, Profish Food, Platvis Holland, Euro Baltic), and seafood distribution (Heiploeg International, Deutsche See). Product portfolio spans pelagic species (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel), demersal species (cod, haddock, Greenland halibut), tuna (skipjack, yellowfin), processed fish products (matje herring, smoked products), and extensive seafood including shrimp, mollusks, and crustaceans. The company is the largest fish processor in Western Europe with over 8,000 employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PP Group: Parent brand and group identity for the Parlevliet & Van der Plas family of seafood companies operating in fishing, processing, and trading.
• CFTO (Compagnie Française du Thon Oceanique)
• Nordbank Hochseefischerei GmbH
• Deutsche See Fischmanufaktur GmbH
• Heiploeg International B.V.
• Ouwehand Visverwerking B.V.
• Profish Food B.V.
• Platvis Holland B.V.

Products and services

• Pelagic Fish Products
• Demersal Fish Products

Quantifiable outcome

• PP Group ranked 9th (2019) and 14th (2021) in the Seafood Stewardship Index among 30 most influential seafood companies, highest-ranked company with own catching operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coast Busters - Limes Bubble BarrierminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2021PP Group sponsors the Limes Bubble Barrier initiative led by Coast Busters Foundation to realize a bubble barrier in the Rhine estuary at Katwijk to catch plastic and other waste before it flows into the sea. PP Group committed to sponsorship for the coming years and an education and monitoring center.
• Green Deal for Clean SeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016PP Group signed the Green Deal in 2016, endorsing efforts to move towards a circular economy and committing to minimize the impact of fisheries on the environment. The deal focuses on Marpol treaty - prevention of pollution by garbage from vessels.
• VisfederatiecoreOthersDutch industry organization representing fish processing companies. All Dutch companies in PP Group are members of one or more of the nine fish processing societies united under the Visfederatie umbrella.
• Bundesverband der FischindustriecoreOthersGerman Federal Association of the Fish Industry, the German equivalent of the Dutch Visfederatie. German PP Group companies can be members of this organization.
• AIPCE CEPcoreOthersEuropean association of fish processors based in Brussels. Both Bundesverband der Fishindustrie and Visfederatie are members. Platform focuses on legal issues concerning fish processing.
• GLOBALG.A.P.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeiploeg International B.V. is a member of GLOBALG.A.P., the worldwide network of retailers and retail-oriented producers setting voluntary standards for good agricultural practices. Heiploeg is active in creation and maintenance of GLOBALG.A.P. aquaculture standard.
• Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPP Group is an active member of PFA, which does research and works with scientific organizations worldwide to maintain sustainable fishery for pelagic fish stocks. PFA members are involved in research projects including PelAcoustics, Species ID project, and Year of the mackerel project.
• OrthongelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFTO, PP Group's tuna company, is a member of Orthongel which undertakes initiatives to improve sustainability of Atlantic and Indian Ocean tuna purse seine fishery. CFTO participates in Fishery Improvement Projects for Eastern Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean tuna fisheries.
• Greenpeace NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2016, PP Group as a member of PFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greenpeace Netherlands, committing to clear agreements for promoting sustainable fishing including refraining from fishing activities in polar waters.
• Dutch Pelagic Ship-owners Association (RVZ)coreOthersSeveral PP Group companies are members of RVZ. PP Group's safety coordinator assisted in composing the Occupational Risks per Workplace manual for pelagic freezer-trawlers.
• Fishing for a Clean Sea CovenantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPP Group has signed the Fishing for a Clean Sea covenant, supporting projects focusing on responsible waste management on board fishing vessels together with peers, nature, and environmental organizations.
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPP Group subsidiaries Heiploeg International B.V. and Ouwehand Visverwerking B.V. have committed to near-term emission reduction targets aligned with SBTi, demonstrating dedication to combating climate change.
• Gold StandardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPP Group uses Gold Standard certified greenhouse gas emission reduction projects to offset CO2 emissions related to natural gas consumption at Dutch production sites.
• Tersan ShipyardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish shipyard Tersan Shipyard is building new vessels for PP Group including the new Dutch pelagic freezer trawler (111.5m) and the Jan Maria (88.1m) for German subsidiary Nordbank Hochseefischerei. Tersan is one of Turkey's largest new building shipyards with experience in technologically advanced fishing vessels.
• SkipstekniskcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorwegian naval architect Skipsteknisk designs PP Group's pelagic freezer trawlers and factory trawlers. The designs are optimized for fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and include advanced onboard processing and freezing systems.
• WärtsiläcoreTechnology or IntegrationWärtsilä supplies main engines for PP Group vessels including 7,000 kW engines for Jan Maria and Wartsila 32 engines for new Dutch trawlers. Wärtsilä engines are described as the most fuel efficient in their class.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parlevliet-en-van-der-plas-b.v.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parlevliet & Van der Plas