Garcimar

What Garcimar does

Garcimar (legal entity GARCIMAR, S.L.) is a family-owned Spanish food distribution company founded in 1931 in the fishing district of El Serrallo (Tarragona) by Juan Bautista García "Chimo." The company distributes more than 2,000 product references across fresh, frozen, and refrigerated categories — fish, seafood, cephalopods, meats, vegetables, pre-cooked foods, and desserts — to the professional restoration sector (HORECA), including restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, catering companies, and industrial canteens. More than 50% of references carry the Garcimar private label, and the company supplements its catalog with value-added services such as custom fish cutting (up to 10 cut styles) and vacuum packaging.

The underlying operating technology is built around cold-chain logistics: a 50,000 m3 storage footprint incorporating freezing tunnels, vacuum packaging lines, and osmosis-treated water processing, supported by a fleet of 70+ two-temperature refrigerated trucks operating 135+ routes from nine regional delegations (Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia, Zaragoza, Málaga, Mallorca, Sevilla, and Alicante). The platform enables 24-hour capillary delivery across the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands, generating 220,000+ deliveries and 20 million kg distributed annually to 21,000 monthly delivery points.

Commercially, Garcimar runs an enterprise field-sales go-to-market through a 60+ person qualified commercial team providing 24-hour customer service, paired with an in-house 7+ person quality department enforcing IFS Food certification and additional organic, ecological, and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund credentials. Revenue is generated through transactional product sales with no public pricing disclosure; the company reports cumulative annual revenue growth of 5% over the last decade at the €65-77M level, remains wholly family-owned with no external funding rounds, and has begun testing a B2C channel via its 'Garcimar en Casa' online store alongside a 2019 digitization and R&D+I investment in modern equipment.

Name

Garcimar

Legal name

GARCIMAR, S.L.

Website

https://garcimar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Garcimar is a family-owned Spanish food distribution company founded in 1931 that supplies more than 2,000 fresh, frozen, and refrigerated product references to the HORECA sector through nine regional delegations and a fleet of 70 refrigerated trucks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HORECA Food Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF)

Keywords

• Food distribution services
• Frozen seafood supply
• Fresh fish distribution
• HORECA wholesale supply
• Refrigerated logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food product distribution: Distribution of more than 2,000 references of fresh, frozen, and refrigerated food products to professional restoration (HORECA) sector including restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and catering companies. Products include fish, seafood, cephalopods, meats, vegetables, pre-cooked foods, desserts and ice creams. More than 50% of references carry Garcimar's own brand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Garcimar distributes more than 2,000 fresh, frozen, and refrigerated food references — primarily fish, seafood, cephalopods, meats, vegetables, pre-cooked foods, desserts, and ice cream — to professional restoration clients in the HORECA channel (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, catering companies, industrial canteens). More than 50% of references carry the Garcimar own brand, and value-added services include custom fish cutting, vacuum packaging, and 24-hour temperature-controlled delivery via a 70-vehicle refrigerated fleet operating from nine regional delegations across Spain.

Product overview

Garcimar is a family-owned food distribution company founded in 1931, operating as a B2B supplier of fresh, frozen, and refrigerated foods exclusively for professional hospitality and catering establishments (horeca channel). The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: Fresh Fish and Seafood (Pescado Fresco y Marisco), Frozen Foods (Alimentos Congelados), and Aquaculture Products (Acuicultura y Estero), complemented by meat, vegetables, prepared foods, desserts, and ice cream categories totaling over 2,000 references. The company operates a Platform + Add-on Services model where the core products are enhanced through value-added services including Custom Fish Cutting (seven preparation styles: whole, cleaned, opened with/without spine, slices, fillets, supremas), Vacuum Packaging, and temperature-controlled logistics with 24-48 hour delivery. More than 50% of references carry the Garcimar private label, providing brand guarantee alongside third-party products. The company distributes from nine strategic locations across Spain with a fleet of 70 refrigerated trucks, serving over 220,000 annual deliveries totaling 18-20 million kg of food products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Fish (Pescado Fresco)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million kg distributed annually
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• EcolmarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement with Ecolmare, a company belonging to P&O Reyser specializing in coastal, port, and continental water cleaning as well as water quality control. Ecolmare operates a fleet of 106 boats, manages 4 ports, and collects 1,900 m3 of waste annually. Partnership supports Garcimar's commitment to marine environment conservation and biodiversity preservation.
• Aura FundacióncoreOthersCollaboration with Aura Fundación for social inclusion and labor integration of people with disabilities. Garcimar extends its commitment to inclusion by eliminating barriers for people with different capabilities through this partnership.
• Acciona EnergíastrategicOthersRenewable energy supplier providing 100% clean energy certification for Garcimar's central delegation operations. 3,113 MWh of renewable energy supplied. Partnership supports Garcimar's sustainability transition toward a fully sustainable production model.
• MercabarnastrategicOthersCollaboration with Mercabarna wholesale market for youth employment through job banks and agreements with Spanish universities. Garcimar, as the oldest company in the Mercabarna fish market, participates in labor integration programs for young people.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Angulas Aguinaga: Angulas Aguinaga is a Spanish seafood specialist known for processed and ready-to-eat seafood products under the La Gula del Norte brand. Comparable to Garcimar in seafood heritage, brand-driven premium positioning, and presence in HORECA retail channels.
• Bidfood Spain: Bidfood Spain is the Spanish arm of Bidcorp's international foodservice distribution network, serving the HORECA channel with broad-line food and beverage products. Comparable to Garcimar as a B2B broadline foodservice distributor targeting hotels, restaurants, and catering with multi-temperature logistics.
• Aramark Spain: Aramark is a global foodservice and facility services provider with a sizable Spanish operation in contract catering and food distribution to institutions and corporate clients. Comparable to Garcimar in serving the same institutional HORECA-adjacent segments (hospitals, schools, corporate canteens).
• Frinsa: Frinsa is a Spanish seafood processor and distributor with vertically integrated operations in tuna, sardines, and other species, supplying retail and foodservice. Comparable to Garcimar in seafood preparation and HORECA supply, though Frinsa focuses on branded canned and processed seafood rather than fresh distribution.
• Serunion: Serunion, part of the Compass Group, operates one of Spain's largest foodservice and catering platforms, serving schools, hospitals, companies, and public institutions. Comparable to Garcimar's social-restoration and collective-catering customer base, although Serunion operates more as a contract caterer than a pure distributor.
• GM Food (formerly IFA): GM Food is one of Spain's largest HORECA-focused food distributors, supplying fresh, frozen, and refrigerated products to restaurants, hotels, and catering operators nationwide. Closely comparable to Garcimar in B2B foodservice model, broad product catalog, multi-region delivery fleet, and private label strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Jealsa: Jealsa is a Galician seafood group specializing in canned and frozen seafood products with global distribution. Comparable to Garcimar in Spanish seafood heritage and HORECA-relevant product portfolio, though Jealsa is substantially larger and more export-oriented than Garcimar's domestic HORECA distribution focus.
• Pescanova: Pescanova is one of Spain's largest vertically integrated seafood companies with fishing, processing, and distribution operations. Comparable to Garcimar as a Spanish seafood major, although Pescanova operates at much larger scale, owns fishing fleets, and focuses on manufacturing and frozen retail brands rather than HORECA distribution.
• Grupo IAN: Grupo IAN is a Spanish food conglomerate encompassing brands in frozen seafood, ready meals, and prepared foods (incl. Findus Spain, Pescanova legacy brands). Comparable to Garcimar as a multi-category Spanish food group operating in frozen and prepared foods serving HORECA and retail, though significantly larger in scale and brand portfolio.

Regional players

• Makro Spain: Makro Spain operates a cash-and-carry format targeting HORECA professionals, offering fresh, frozen, and dry food in Spain. Comparable to Garcimar in target customer base (restaurants, hotels, caterers) and product categories, although the cash-and-carry model differs from Garcimar's direct-delivery B2B distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garcimar-sl

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Garcimar