Sæby Fishing Industry

What Sæby Fishing Industry does

A/S Sæby Fiske-Industri (Saeby Fish Canners Ltd.) is a Danish privately held canned mackerel producer founded in 1947 and headquartered in Sæby, Denmark. It is Denmark's only canned mackerel producer and operates one of the largest dedicated mackerel canning facilities in the world, with annual production of 100-120 million cans against a maximum installed capacity of 150 million cans, 60,000 square meters of factory footprint on 42.6 hectares of land, and 30,000 tons of cold storage capacity. Approximately 200 employees work at the single-site Frederikshavn Municipality facility during peak season. The company is 80% owned by the Vanggaard Foundation following founder Christian Vanggaard's death in 2020, with the foundation's stated mandate being to keep production anchored in Sæby.

The company's core technology stack is built around Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) — each fish is frozen and stored in a separate cell — which underpins its proprietary chemical-free skinning process using only hot water and steam in place of caustic soda and hydrochloric acid. The company describes this as the only such production method in the world, enabled specifically by single-fish freezing. Additional capabilities include in-house laboratory quality testing, X-ray scanning of all finished cans for foreign-object detection, BPA-free can packaging, a seven-day incubation sterilization cycle, and hand-filleting. The product range covers 35+ variants of mackerel fillets and mackerel-mix products in oils (olive, rapeseed, sunflower), water, and sauces (tomato, curry, mustard, chili, BBQ, coconut curry, sweet soy), sold under the SÆBY and NORD brands.

The business model is overwhelmingly B2B private-label contract manufacturing, which accounts for ~95% of production and ~85% of which is exported. The company serves major Danish retail chains — Rema 1000, Meny, SPAR, Super Brugsen, Fakta, Bilka, Føtex, and nemlig.com — alongside international supermarket customers across Europe, the UK, the USA, and Asia. Own-brand products (SÆBY and NORD) make up the remaining ~5% of volume. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Certifications include BRCGS food safety (audited by Bureau Veritas), ISO 14001 environmental management, Der Grüne Punkt packaging recovery, and EU Fish Establishment approval under manufacturer number DK2044EF. The company is managed by CEO Claus Christensen, CFO Pia Falden, and Sales Director Stefan Dalgaard.

Name

Sæby Fishing Industry

Legal name

A/S Sæby Fiske-Industri

Website

https://saeby.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sæby Fiske-Industri is Denmark's only canned mackerel producer, operating a single-site facility in Sæby with up to 150 million cans of annual capacity. It runs a primarily B2B private-label manufacturing model (~95% of output), exporting ~85% of production to retail chains across Europe, the UK, the USA, and Asia, alongside its own SÆBY and NORD brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Canned Seafood Manufacturing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011)

akta.pro primary industry

Canned Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAD)

Keywords

• Canned mackerel
• Private label seafood
• Fish canning
• Seafood manufacturing
• Mackerel processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sæby

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private label manufacturing: 95% of production is private label manufacturing for retailers worldwide. The company produces canned mackerel to retailer specifications with custom recipes and packaging. 85% of private label production is exported globally.
2. Own brand sales (SÆBY and NORD): 5% of production consists of proprietary brands SÆBY and NORD sold through retail channels. Products include over 35 variants of mackerel fillets and mackerel mix in various sauces and oils.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sæby Fiske-Industri is one of the world's largest canned mackerel producers and Denmark's only such manufacturer, operating a 60,000 square meter facility in Sæby, Denmark. The company produces canned mackerel products under its own SÆBY and NORD brands (over 35 variants including fillets in oils, sauces, and mackerel mix) and offers private label contract manufacturing to retail chains globally, with 95% of production being private label and 85% exported.

Product overview

Sæby Fiske-Industri (Saeby Fish Canners Ltd.) is a Danish canned mackerel producer and one of the world's leading manufacturers in this category. The company operates a dual business model: it produces its own branded products (SÆBY and NORD brands) and serves as a private label manufacturer for retail chains globally. The SÆBY brand portfolio encompasses over 35 variants including whole mackerel fillets in various oils (olive, rapeseed, sunflower), water, and multiple sauce preparations (tomato, curry, mustard, chili, BBQ, coconut curry, sweet soy). The NORD brand focuses on findelt (small pieces) mackerel in tomato. The company's newest products are the Green and Blue Mackerel Mix variants featuring small mackerel pieces in tomato sauce with vegetables. Approximately 95% of the annual production capacity of 150 million cans is dedicated to private label manufacturing, with 85% exported worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SÆBY: Primary own brand for canned mackerel products. Features over 35 variants including fillets in oil, water, tomato, and various sauces.
• NORD

Products and services

• SÆBY Brand SÆBY is the company's primary own-brand line of canned mackerel products, featuring over 35 variants including whole mackerel fillets in olive, rapeseed, or sunflower oil, water, and various sauces (tomato, curry, mustard, chili, BBQ, coconut curry, sweet soy), plus mackerel mix variants. Products are chemical-free and BPA-free, targeting health-conscious consumers in Scandinavian retail and export markets.
• NORD Brand NORD is the company's secondary brand offering featuring findelt (small pieces) mackerel in tomato sauce, distributed through retail channels in Scandinavia and export markets.
• Private Label Manufacturing Contract manufacturing service producing canned mackerel for retail chains worldwide. Approximately 95% of the company's 150 million annual can production is private label. Customers can select existing product variants or collaborate on developing custom recipes. Available in Round and Club can formats with various packaging options, including private labels for Rema 1000, Meny, SPAR, Super Brugsen, Fakta, Bilka, Føtex, and nemlig.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% mackerel content in canned products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• External chefs (development collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment department collaborates with external chefs to develop new sauce recipes and product variations, contributing to the over 35 product variants in the portfolio.
• BDO Statsautoriseret revisionsaktieselskabminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBDO serves as data processor for the company's whistleblower system, providing technical administration of the reporting portal.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• King Oscar: Norwegian premium canned seafood brand specializing in mackerel, sardines, and other pelagics. Owned by Thai Union. Most direct product-category overlap with Sæby, including IQF-quality processing and European/Asian export markets.
• Bumble Bee Foods: US-focused canned seafood manufacturer (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel). Comparable in branded and private label canned seafood, though with stronger North American retail concentration than Sæby.
• Thai Union Group: World's largest canned tuna and seafood producer (Chicken of the Sea, John West, King Oscar). Directly comparable as a global canned seafood manufacturer with private label and branded operations, including mackerel and other pelagic species.
• Maruha Nichiro: Japan's largest seafood company, with global canned and processed seafood operations including mackerel. Comparable scale, vertical integration into fishing, and presence in the Asian canned seafood market where Sæby exports.
• Princes Group: UK-based canned foods and packaged goods manufacturer with strong private label presence in European supermarkets. Overlapping customer base in discounters and large retailers, with parallel private label canned seafood offerings.
• Iberconsa: Spanish seafood processor specializing in frozen and canned seafood, including mackerel, cephalopods, and hake. Comparable in European private label canned seafood manufacturing and export-focused business model.
• StarKist: US canned tuna and seafood leader (owned by Dongwon Industries). Comparable as a major canned seafood manufacturer with branded and private label offerings, though primarily focused on tuna rather than mackerel.
• Bolton Group: Italian food conglomerate operating Bolton Food (Rio Mare, Cuca, Saupiquet) — a major European canned tuna and seafood manufacturer. Comparable in private label manufacturing, retail channel distribution, and focus on canned pelagic fish.

Broad incumbents

• Orkla Foods: Norwegian-listed branded consumer goods conglomerate with a seafood and branded foods portfolio (including King Oscar historically). Comparable as a Nordic food manufacturer with retail relationships, though broader and brand-led rather than private label-led.

Regional players

• Norway Pelagic: Norwegian pelagic fish producer and exporter specializing in mackerel, herring, and capelin. Upstream comparable to Sæby as a Norwegian/Scandinavian mackerel supplier, though operating at the raw fish stage rather than canned processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmSZKjVZGV5i-y8BSi0aGjg
• Facebookfacebook.com/vielskermakrel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saebymakrel
• Instagraminstagram.com/saebyfiskeindustri
• Pinterestpinterest.dk/saebyfisk

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sæby Fishing Industry