What Omega Protein does

Omega Protein Corporation is a vertically integrated marine ingredient producer specializing in omega-3 rich fish oil, protein-rich specialty fish meal, and organic fish solubles derived from menhaden, a small forage fish harvested in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The company traces its origins to 1878 and was formally incorporated in Nevada in 1998, subsequently trading on the NYSE under ticker OME until its 2017 acquisition by Cooke Inc., a family-owned Canadian seafood company, after which it operates as a wholly owned division. Omega Protein operates seven manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada, and Europe, supported by a long-term supply contract with Ocean Harvesters, which owns 30 dedicated fishing vessels. Its Health and Science Center in Reedville, Virginia, is the only fully-integrated fish oil processing facility in the United States.

The company's product portfolio includes Virginia Prime Gold and OmegaEquis (refined long-chain omega-3 fish oils containing approximately 35% total omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA), Natural Nautic, Special Select, and SeaLac (menhaden-derived fish meal products), and Neptune Fish Concentrate and OmegaGrow (fish solubles for aquaculture attractant and organic fertilizer applications). These products serve five primary end-markets: aquaculture, companion animal/pet food manufacturing, livestock feed, agriculture, and the equine industry. Both Atlantic and Gulf menhaden fisheries hold Marine Stewardship Council certification (achieved in 2019), and menhaden fish oil received GRAS approval from the FDA in 1997 for food and beverage use.

Omega Protein generates revenue through a direct B2B sales model, with pricing determined via negotiation rather than public disclosure. The company sells primarily to enterprise customers including feed manufacturers, aquaculture operations, pet food companies, livestock producers, and agricultural operations. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Omega Shipyard in Moss Point, Mississippi, provides vessel retrofitting services for both internal fleet use and third parties. Notable historical acquisitions include Bioriginal Food & Science Corp (2014, $70.5M), Wisconsin Specialty Protein (2013), InCon Processing (2011, $9.27M), and Cyvex Nutrition (2010), reflecting a multi-year strategy to broaden the specialty protein and nutraceutical portfolio beyond core menhaden products.

Name

Omega Protein

Legal name

Omega Protein Corporation

Website

https://omegaprotein.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Omega Protein is a vertically integrated US producer of omega-3 rich fish oil, protein-rich fish meal, and fish solubles derived from menhaden, serving aquaculture, pet food, livestock feed, agricultural, and equine manufacturers across seven facilities in the US, Canada, and Europe. The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cooke Inc. following its 2017 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Nutritional Ingredients

NAICS

Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood By-Products & Fishmeal/Fish Oil Processing (Rendering, Hydrolysates, Collagen) (AFANADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids) (AFAJAKAC), Marine & Aquatic Protein Ingredients (Fish Protein, Shellfish Protein, Fish Collagen) (AFAJAHAD), Functional Lipids & Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3, Protected Fats) (AFADALAL), Nutraceuticals & Functional Ingredients for Animal Diets (Probiotics, Omega-3, Joint, GI) (HLAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Marine ingredient production
• Fish oil processing
• Fish meal manufacturing
• Omega-3 nutrition
• Animal feed ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Fish Oil Products: Sales of refined menhaden fish oil products including Virginia Prime Gold, OmegaEquis, and standard Menhaden Fish Oil to animal nutrition, aquaculture, and livestock feed manufacturers. Products contain approximately 35% omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA.
2. Fish Meal Products: Sales of protein-rich fish meal including Natural Nautic, Special Select, and SeaLac to pet food, aquaculture, and livestock feed manufacturers. Fish meal serves as a complete source of highly digestible protein with superior amino acid profile.
3. Fish Solubles Products: Sales of Neptune Fish Concentrate for aquaculture attractant applications and OmegaGrow fertilizer for agricultural plant applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Omega Protein processes menhaden fish into omega-3 rich refined fish oil, protein-rich specialty fish meal, and organic fish solubles for B2B customers. The company manufactures and sells branded ingredient lines including Virginia Prime Gold and OmegaEquis fish oils, Natural Nautic, Special Select, and SeaLac fish meals, and Neptune Fish Concentrate and OmegaGrow fish solubles to animal nutrition, aquaculture, pet food, livestock feed, equine, and agricultural markets.

Product overview

Omega Protein is a century-old nutritional product company and leading vertically integrated producer in the United States of omega-3 rich fish oil, protein-rich specialty fishmeal, and organic fish solubles derived from menhaden fish. The company operates as a division of Cooke Inc. and produces a portfolio of products including Virginia Prime Gold, OmegaEquis, Menhaden Fish Oil (fish oil products); Natural Nautic, Special Select, SeaLac (fish meal products); and Neptune Fish Concentrate, OmegaGrow (fish solubles products). These products serve animal nutrition markets including aquaculture, companion animals, livestock, and plant/equine applications. The company operates seven manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and holds Marine Stewardship Council certification for both Atlantic and Gulf menhaden fisheries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Virginia Prime Gold: Refined long-chain omega-3 fish oil feed ingredient containing approximately 35% total omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA.
• OmegaEquis
• Natural Nautic
• Special Select
• SeaLac
• Neptune Fish Concentrate
• OmegaGrow

Products and services

• Virginia Prime Gold A refined long-chain omega-3 fish oil specifically formulated as a palatable feed ingredient, containing approximately 35% total omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA concentrations. Alkali refined to reduce free fatty acids and bleached to reduce color and odor. For animal nutrition manufacturers.
• OmegaEquis A highly-refined long-chain omega-3 fish oil specifically formulated as a feed ingredient or supplement for horses. Contains 34% total omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA. Flavor enhanced to encourage palatability. For equine nutrition manufacturers and horse industry customers.
• Menhaden Fish Oil A natural, non-hydrogenated and structurally unaltered fish oil containing approximately 35% total omega-3 fatty acids with balanced EPA and DHA. Polished to reduce moisture content. GRAS approved for use in food and beverages since 1997. For food, beverage, and animal nutrition manufacturers.
• Natural Nautic A high-quality protein made from menhaden, naturally stabilized with mixed tocopherols. A complete source of highly digestible, low-allergenic protein with superior amino acid profile and excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. For aquaculture and animal feed manufacturers.
• Special Select Premium fish meal made from menhaden. A complete source of highly digestible, low-allergenic protein with superior amino acid profile and excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. For livestock feed and aquaculture manufacturers.
• SeaLac A high-quality protein feed ingredient made from menhaden. A complete source of highly digestible protein with superior amino acid profile and excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. For animal feed and aquaculture manufacturers.
• Neptune Fish Concentrate Used in the aquaculture industry as a consistent, quality controlled, condensed attractant. Composed of low molecular weight water soluble compounds including free amino acids, peptides and nucleotides. For aquaculture feed manufacturers.
• OmegaGrow A fertilizer providing a rich source of nutrients that slowly break down and release nitrogen into the soil, supporting root growth, stand strength, seed germination and yield. A natural, organic way to enhance crops. For agricultural operations and farmers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water conservation of approximately 18 million gallons annually through water reclamation from fish processing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Daybrook FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2019Daybrook Fisheries, a subsidiary of Oceana Group Ltd., is a major participant in the Gulf menhaden fishery alongside Omega Protein. Through an exclusive long-term supply agreement with Westbank Fishing LLC, menhaden are caught and delivered to Daybrook's production facility. Daybrook's plant is typically the largest single producer of menhaden products in the world.
• Westbank Fishing LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 October 2019Westbank Fishing LLC owns and operates 11 vessels and has an exclusive long-term supply agreement with Daybrook Fisheries for the Gulf menhaden fishery. Together with Daybrook, they are major participants in the Gulf menhaden fishery supporting over 2,000 jobs and approximately $419 million in annual economic impact.
• Ocean HarvesterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Long-term supply contract with Ocean Harvesters, an independent company that owns 30 fishing vessels harvesting menhaden. All fishing vessels formerly owned by Omega Protein are now owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters. Ocean Harvesters operates vessels for both Atlantic and Gulf menhaden fisheries.
• Alpha VesselCo, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Alpha VesselCo, LLC (also known as Ocean Harvesters) owns 30 vessels which harvest menhaden under a long-term supply contract with Omega Protein. All fishing vessels formerly owned by Omega Protein are owned and operated by this independent company.
• Cooke Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2017Omega Protein is a wholly owned subsidiary and division of Cooke Inc., a family owned company based in New Brunswick, Canada. Cooke Inc. is a global seafood leader with fully-integrated facilities, product lines and distribution networks. Omega Protein was acquired by Cooke Inc. in 2017.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• dsm-firmenich: Global nutrition and health ingredient giant (formerly DSM including Martek) producing omega-3 EPA/DHA ingredients for human nutrition, pet food, and aquaculture. Overlaps with Omega Protein in omega-3 ingredient supply but at vastly larger scale and across multiple delivery formats including algal and microbial alternatives.
• Maruha Nichiro: Japanese global seafood leader with fishmeal and fish oil production from North Pacific fisheries. Operates as a broad incumbent across seafood, processed foods, and marine ingredients including omega-3 oils, with overlapping product portfolio to Omega Protein but at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Austevoll Seafood: Norwegian seafood conglomerate with significant fishmeal and fish oil operations through its ownership of Australis Seafood and Lerøy. Operates as a diversified seafood incumbent with reduction fishery exposure that overlaps with Omega Protein's core business but across a broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• TripleNine: Danish global fishmeal and fish oil producer with operations across multiple species and geographies. Directly competes with Omega Protein in the international fishmeal and omega-3 oil markets, particularly for aquaculture and pet food customers in Europe and Asia.
• Daybrook Fisheries: Subsidiary of Oceana Group and Omega Protein's most direct competitor in the Gulf menhaden reduction fishery. Daybrook is described as typically the largest single producer of menhaden products in the world, operating from its Louisiana facility with Westbank Fishing supplying 11 vessels under exclusive long-term agreement.
• Pesquera Exalmar: Peruvian anchovy fishmeal and fish oil producer listed on the Lima Stock Exchange. Operates one of the largest reduction fisheries globally, directly competing with Omega Protein in the fishmeal and fish oil supply markets for aquaculture feed and human nutrition ingredients.
• Copeinca (TASA): Peruvian anchovy fishmeal and fish oil producer, one of the largest in the world. Directly competes with Omega Protein in international fishmeal markets for aquaculture feeds, particularly shrimp and salmon farming operations across Latin America and Asia.
• Bio-Oregon Protein: US Pacific Northwest fishmeal and fish oil producer operating in Oregon and Washington. Competes with Omega Protein in supplying protein meal and omega-3 oil to North American pet food, aquaculture, and livestock feed manufacturers using West Coast fish species.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OmegaProtein
• Facebookfacebook.com/109589885734100
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omega-protein-inc.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A4 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Omega Protein