Vest Havbruk
Vesterålen Havbruk is a vertically integrated Norwegian whitefish company combining wild-catch reception at Myre harbor, farmed cod at its Hornet facility, and automated computer-vision processing at the Primex Norway fillet factory, exporting fillets, salted fish, and marine by-products to global B2B buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMyre, Norway
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vest Havbruk does
Vesterålen Havbruk A/S is a privately held, vertically integrated Norwegian aquaculture and seafood processing company headquartered in Myre, Vesterålen, north of the Arctic Circle. The company combines wild-caught fish reception at Norway's largest fresh-fish landing port with its own farmed cod production at the Hornet facility (first production cycle August 2021) and processes both sources at the Primex Norway fillet factory, completed May 2018 with capacity exceeding 50 metric tons of headed-and-gutted fish per day. The core technical differentiator is a pre-rigor processing methodology that handles fish within eight hours of catch at 1°C, before rigor mortis, preserving fiber structure and moisture, combined with computer-vision automated filleting accurate to half a gram.
The business model is B2B direct export of frozen whitefish fillets and portions (cod, haddock, pollock), salted fish, and marine by-products (collagen, fish-bone proteins, omega-3 supplements) to global seafood buyers across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Revenue streams include owned-product sales, contract fillet processing for third-party fish suppliers at Primex (50+ tons/day), and by-product monetization through partnerships with global marine-ingredient companies targeting the 44% of fish material not used for fillets. Pricing is conducted through direct commercial negotiation rather than disclosed list pricing.
The company is currently pursuing a merger with Statt Torsk (announced November 2023) with the stated objective of building the world's largest whitefish vertical. Leadership includes CEO Brynjar Kværnstuen, COO Rune Eriksen, and CFO Martin Kværnstuen, supported by an Investment Director and dedicated Quality, HSE, Marketing, and Accounting functions. Marketing channels emphasize transparency content on the company website, including downloadable production reports and live camera feeds from the Hornet site, alongside Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn presence.
Vest Havbruk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vest Havbruk
- Legal name
- Vesterålen Havbruk A/S
- Website
- https://vesteralenhavbruk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Vesterålen Havbruk is a vertically integrated Norwegian whitefish company combining wild-catch reception at Myre harbor, farmed cod at its Hornet facility, and automated computer-vision processing at the Primex Norway fillet factory, exporting fillets, salted fish, and marine by-products to global B2B buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vest Havbruk industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seafood Processing and Aquaculture
- NAICS
- Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Aquaculture (1125)
- SIC
- Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Primary Seafood Processing (Heading/Gutting/Deheading; Icing) (AFANADAA), Smoked, Cured & Salted Seafood (Lox, Kippers, Bacalao) (AFANADAF), Seafood By-Products & Fishmeal/Fish Oil Processing (Rendering, Hydrolysates, Collagen) (AFANADAJ)
Keywords
Where Vest Havbruk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Myre
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Vest Havbruk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fish Production and Export: Company operates fish reception facilities receiving wild-caught fish from local fishermen and farmed cod from their own aquaculture operations. Fish is processed into salted fish for export, fresh/frozen fillets through Primex factory, and by-products. Products are exported globally to markets in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.
- Fillet Processing Services: Primex factory provides contract processing of fish into fillets and portions according to customer specifications. Factory processes 50+ tons of headed and gutted fish per day.
- Marine By-Products: Remaining fish materials processed into collagen, fish bone proteins, and omega-3 supplements through partnerships with global marine ingredient companies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Vest Havbruk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vesterålen Havbruk operates a vertically integrated aquaculture and seafood processing business based in Myre, Northern Norway. It receives wild-caught cod, haddock, pollock, and halibut from the local fishing fleet at Myre harbor (Norway's largest landing port) and produces farmed cod at the Hornet facility north of the Arctic Circle. The company processes fish into salted products for export, and into frozen fillets and portions through the Primex Norway factory (50+ tons/day capacity) using pre-rigor handling and computer-vision automated filleting. Marine by-products (collagen, omega-3, fish bone protein) are produced in collaboration with global marine ingredient partners.
Product overview
Vesterålen Havbruk is a vertically integrated aquaculture and seafood processing company based in Myre, Norway. The company operates a dual-source model combining wild fish reception with farmed cod production (Hornet facility). Core operations include Primex Norway, one of the world's most advanced frozen fillet factories processing 50+ tons daily, and traditional salted fish production. The company employs a pre-rigor processing methodology to ensure premium quality. Marine by-products are converted into collagen, omega-3, and protein supplements through global partnerships. The company is pursuing a merger with Statt Torsk and aims to become the world's largest whitefish vertical.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Primex Norway: World's largest and most modern factory for frozen cod, haddock and pollock processing. Completed in 2018 with capacity to process 50 metric tons of headed and gutted fish daily.
- Hornet
Products and services
- Vesterålen Havbruk Wild Fish Reception Wild-caught fish reception service at Myre harbor — Norway's largest landing port for fresh fish (35,000+ tons annually) — accepting cod, pollock, haddock, and halibut from the local fishing fleet for processing into salted fish and other products for export.
- Hornet Cod Farming Aquaculture facility north of the Arctic Circle producing farmed cod, with real-time HD underwater cameras at every site for fish welfare monitoring and full transparency. Provides year-round supply complementing seasonal wild catch.
- Primex Norway Fillet Factory One of the world's largest and most modern frozen fillet factories for cod, haddock, and pollock. Processes 50+ tons of headed and gutted fish per day using fully automated computer-vision filleting accurate to half a gram. Supplies domestic and export customers with frozen fillets and portions.
- Salted Fish Production Traditional salted fish production for export markets, processed at the reception station immediately upon catch arrival using long-established local methods.
- Marine By-Products (Collagen, Omega-3, Protein) Sustainable by-product utilization line converting approximately 44% of fish material (non-fillet portions) into collagen from fish skin, proteins from fish bones, and omega-3 supplements through partnerships with leading global marine ingredient companies.
Companies that use Vest Havbruk
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Vest Havbruk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Vest Havbruk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Leading Global Marine Ingredient PartnerscoreCollaboration with leading global partners in marine ingredients development. The partnership focuses on utilizing fish by-products (44% of fish material not used for fillets) to produce collagen from fish skin, proteins from fish bones, and omega-3 supplements. The collaboration is driven by shared commitment to sustainable resource utilization and aligns with UN sustainability goals, not just economic gains.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vest Havbruk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vest Havbruk social profiles
Digital presenceVest Havbruk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vest Havbruk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Vest Havbruk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vest Havbruk M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vest Havbruk
What does Vest Havbruk do?
Vesterålen Havbruk operates a vertically integrated aquaculture and seafood processing business based in Myre, Northern Norway. It receives wild-caught cod, haddock, pollock, and halibut from the local fishing fleet at Myre harbor (Norway's largest landing port) and produces farmed cod at the Hornet facility north of the Arctic Circle. The company processes fish into salted products for export, and into frozen fillets and portions through the Primex Norway factory (50+ tons/day capacity) using pre-rigor handling and computer-vision automated filleting. Marine by-products (collagen, omega-3, fish bone protein) are produced in collaboration with global marine ingredient partners.
Is Vest Havbruk a public or private company?
Vest Havbruk is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Vest Havbruk founded?
Vest Havbruk was founded in 1990.
Where is Vest Havbruk based?
Vest Havbruk is headquartered in Myre, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Vest Havbruk make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fish Production and Export is the primary driver. The others are fillet Processing Services and marine By-Products.
Does Vest Havbruk have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vest Havbruk.
What industry is Vest Havbruk in?
Vest Havbruk's product category is Seafood Processing and Aquaculture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAN, Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing), with a secondary code of AFANADAA, Primary Seafood Processing (Heading/Gutting/Deheading; Icing). Its NAICS code is 3117 and its SIC code is 2092.