Heiploeg

What Heiploeg does

Heiploeg International B.V. is a Dutch seafood processor headquartered in Zoutkamp, Netherlands, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the family-owned fishing and processing conglomerate Parlevliet & Van der Plas. Following its 2014 bankruptcy and relaunch under P&P ownership, the company has consolidated its position as Europe's leading shrimp supplier and the no. 1 supplier of North Sea shrimp, generating close to €300 million in turnover and approximately 35 million kg of finished products per year. Operations span five countries: fishing fleets in Suriname (12 trawlers, MSC-certified Seabob fishery) and Guyana (27 vessels via Noble House Seafoods), procurement offices in Cochin, India, hand-peeling of North Sea shrimp at TK Fish in Tétouan, Morocco (~2,500 workers), and processing, cold storage, and distribution from Zoutkamp.

The product portfolio covers chilled and frozen shrimp and seafood across multiple species — North Sea brown shrimp, Seabob shrimp, Vannamei prawns, Northern prawns, wild tropical prawns, crayfish, blue and Chilean mussels, squid, and giant squid — sold under two main brands: Heiploeg (chilled and frozen value-added, principally in Benelux) and Heidema en van der Ploeg (premium fresh North Sea shrimp). Value-added SKUs include wok prawns, prawn skewers, prawn antipasti (2011 Seafood Prix d'Elite Convenience award winner), seafood mixes and duos, surimi, and MSC-certified Seabob lines. Core processing technology centres on a 2003-developed in-house preservation method that avoids sulfite, sorbic acid, and benzoic acid to enable chilled organic seafood production, plus custom-designed processing machinery and in-house production of pure food-grade ingredients (salts, citric acids).

The business operates as a B2B supplier across three segments — retail, foodservice, and food industry — in Europe, with pricing handled on a quote-based model under multi-year contracts. Vertically integrated cold-chain distribution is run via Heitrans International B.V., which operates 31 trailers and 16 trucks with temperature monitoring and IFS Logistics certification across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and northern France. Quality and sustainability positioning is anchored by IFS, BRC, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, MSC (including the world's first MSC-certified tropical shrimp fishery), MSC and ASC Chain of Custody, GLOBALG.A.P., EU Organic, Naturland, and BSCI certifications.

Name

Heiploeg

Legal name

Heiploeg International B.V.

Website

https://heiploeg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heiploeg International B.V. is a Dutch seafood processor and Europe's leading shrimp supplier, supplying chilled and frozen shrimp and seafood to retail, foodservice, and food-industry customers in Europe via vertically integrated fishing (Suriname, Guyana), hand-peeling (Morocco), processing (Netherlands), and refrigerated distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed seafood and shrimp supply

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Other Marine Fishing (114119)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Shellfish Processing (Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Mollusks) (AFANADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ready-to-Eat Seafood (Cooked Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Surimi) (AFANALAC), Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG), Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

Keywords

• Shrimp processing
• Seafood supplier
• Frozen seafood products
• Chilled shrimp
• Seafood distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Zoutkamp

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Shrimp and Seafood Product Sales: Heiploeg generates revenue through the sale of processed shrimp and seafood products to retailers, foodservice companies, and food industry customers across Europe. Products include chilled and frozen shrimp, value-added seafood products, and shellfish.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Heiploeg International B.V. is Europe's leading shrimp supplier, processing and selling chilled and frozen shrimp and other seafood products (North Sea shrimp, Seabob shrimp, Vannamei prawns, mussels, squid, crayfish, surimi) to retail, foodservice, and industrial customers across Europe. The company operates its own fishing fleets in Suriname and Guyana, runs a hand-peeling facility in Morocco (TK Fish), and maintains an in-house refrigerated/frozen transport division (Heitrans). Production capacity stands at approximately 35 million kg of finished products annually.

Product overview

Heiploeg is Europe's leading shrimp supplier and seafood processor offering a comprehensive portfolio of chilled and frozen shrimp and seafood products across retail, foodservice, and industrial channels. The product range spans multiple species including North Sea shrimp, Seabob shrimp (with the world's first MSC-certified tropical fishery), Vannamei prawns, Northern prawns, wild tropical prawns, crayfish, blue and Chilean mussels, squid, and giant squid. The company operates two main brands: the Heiploeg brand for chilled and frozen value-added products in Benelux, and the premium Heidema en van der Ploeg brand for fresh North Sea shrimp. Product categories include Retail Chilled (MAP packaging), Retail Frozen, Foodservice Chilled, Foodservice Frozen, and Industry Products. Value-added offerings include wok prawns, prawn skewers, prawn antipasti, seafood mixes, seafood duos, surimi products, and MSC-certified Seabob and wok prawn lines. The company also operates Heitrans, a specialized refrigerated/frozen transport division, and maintains hand-peeling facilities in Morocco and own fishing operations in Suriname and Guyana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heidema en van der Ploeg: Brand for fresh cooked North Sea shrimp, peeled by the seaside immediately upon landing in the harbours on the Waddenzee shore for excellent taste and freshness
• Heiploeg

Products and services

• Heiploeg Brand (Retail Chilled Shrimp) Heiploeg's own label used for a range of chilled shrimp products and frozen value-added products sold primarily in the Benelux market to retail, foodservice, and industrial buyers.
• Heidema en van der Ploeg Brand (Fresh North Sea Shrimp) Premium heritage brand for fresh cooked North Sea shrimp peeled by the seaside immediately upon landing on the Waddenzee shore, targeting Benelux retail and foodservice customers.
• North Sea Shrimp (Crangon crangon) Brown shrimp from the North Sea with cryptic sandy brown coloration, cooked on board vessels and mostly hand-peeled in Morocco; available chilled (cooked whole and peeled) and frozen (cooked and peeled) for retail, foodservice, and industrial buyers across Europe.
• Seabob Shrimp (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) Small-sized white shrimp with sweet taste, caught by Heiploeg's own vessels in Suriname and Guyana (the world's first MSC-certified tropical shrimp fishery); available peeled or undeveined, frozen or chilled, for retail and industrial buyers.
• Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) Crayfish originally an American species, introduced to China and now fished from inland fisheries in China; available chilled and frozen, mostly cooked and peeled, for retail and foodservice customers.
• Wild Catch Tropical Prawns (Penaeidae family) Tropical wild-catch prawns including P. Stylifera (Karikadi), Indian Flowers, and deep sea reds caught by trawling in the Indian Ocean; sold as a mix or by specific species, frozen and chilled, to retail, foodservice, and industrial buyers.
• Northern Prawns (Pandalus borealis, Pandalus jordani) Hermaphrodite prawns found at depths of 150-600 meters in soft muddy sediment; available cooked and peeled or as cooked whole prawns, frozen and chilled, for retail and foodservice.
• Vannamei Prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei) Whiteleg prawns originally from Central and South America and now the most farmed shrimp globally; available from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, and Ecuador, mostly processed into value-added SKUs.
• Blue Mussel Meat (Mytilus edulis) Blue mussels from the North-East Atlantic Ocean filter feeders living in tidal areas; available year-round using modern cooling technology and MSC certified from Limfjord and the Netherlands.
• Squid (Loligo vulgaris, Illex argentinus, Todarodes pacificus) Cephalopods (around 300 species) caught at night by attracting with light; available as cleaned tubes, tentacles, or rings for retail and foodservice buyers.
• Giant Squid (Dosidicus gigas) Humboldt squid up to two metres in mantle length, caught at night by attracting with light from Tierra del Fuego to California; available chilled cooked or frozen blanched/cooked for retail and foodservice.
• Chilean Mussel Meat (Mytilus chilensis) Mussels caught and cultivated in cold nutrient-rich waters in Chile, grown on ropes; approximately 74% exported to Europe, MSC certified for fishery and suspended culture.
• Wok Prawns Blanched and peeled Vannamei prawns from GLOBALG.A.P. certified aquaculture with stir-fry marinade in Garlic, Pesto, Thai Green Curry, and Sweet & Sour flavours for retail and foodservice.
• Prawn Skewers Cooked, peeled, and marinated Vannamei prawn skewers with three marinated prawns on wooden skewer, available in Honey/Mustard, Hot Chilli, and Sweet Chilli varieties, for retail and foodservice.
• Prawn Antipasti Cooked and peeled Vannamei prawns from GLOBALG.A.P. certified aquaculture in savoury marinade, available in five varieties; winner of the 2011 Seafood Prix d'Elite 'Convenience' award, for retail and foodservice.
• Seafood Mix / Seafood Mix in Brine Mix of shrimp, Chilean mussel meat, squid buttons, squid tentacles, and Venus clams, available chilled or in brine for retail and foodservice.
• Seafood Duo Mixture of blanched MSC-certified Seabob shrimp and GLOBALG.A.P. certified Vannamei prawns in oriental or mediterranean marinade, positioned for stir-fries in retail and foodservice.
• Surimi Products Fish protein product based on white fish (Pollock) used as imitation for shrimp and crab meat, available in brine or garlic oil, including MSC certified variants.
• MSC Certified Seabob Shrimp Products Peeled and cooked Seabob shrimp from the MSC-certified Suriname fishery, with delicate texture suitable for marinating and sauces; 100% shrimp.
• MSC Certified Wok Prawns Mixture of blanched Seabob shrimp from MSC-certified Suriname fishery with garlic or sweet & sour marinade, positioned for stir-fries in retail and foodservice.
• Heitrans Transport Services Specialized refrigerated and frozen transport service operating 31 trailers and 16 trucks with satellite temperature monitoring, ATP-qualified drivers, and IFS Logistics certification covering Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and northern France.
• Retail Chilled Products Chilled shrimp and seafood products packaged for retail shelves, including MAP form-fill-seal trays (90-500 g), flat bags (150-300 g), preformed plastic trays, and aluminium oven-ready trays.
• Retail Frozen Products Frozen shrimp and seafood products for retail including flat bags (100 g-1 kg), stand-up bags (200 g-1 kg), and sprinter boxes (200-500 g).
• Foodservice Chilled Products Chilled shrimp and seafood products for foodservice in MAP trays (150-1,250 g), MAP flat bags (1-5 kg), and plastic pots (1.5 kg/900 g drained weight).
• Foodservice Frozen Products Frozen products for foodservice customers, typically packed in flat bags up to 2.5 kg.
• Industry Products Bulk seafood products customized to customer specifications for species, size, treatment, preservation, coloring, and glazing; packaged in 5-13 kg cartons or 400 kg plastic bins for food processing industry customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• First tropical shrimp fishery in the world to receive MSC certificate (Suriname Seabob, November 2011)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Deutsche SeeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2018Parent company Parlevliet & Van der Plas acquired Deutsche See, Germany's largest fish producer and seller. Deutsche See operates 22 locations with 1,700+ employees serving 35,000+ customers including retail, hospitality, and catering. This vertical integration connects fishing operations through to retail.
• Parlevliet & Van der PlascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2014Parlevliet & Van der Plas (P&P), Dutch family-owned fishing company founded in 1949, acquired Heiploeg following 2014 bankruptcy. P&P operates 40+ vessels worldwide with 1,500-6,000 employees depending on source. Heiploeg relaunched as Heiploeg International B.V. under P&P ownership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro: Maruha Nichiro is one of Japan's largest seafood companies with global fishing and processing operations, including salmon, crab, shrimp, and surimi. It is comparable to Heiploeg as a vertically integrated seafood company with fishing fleet, processing, and value-added products.
• Thai Union Group: Thai Union is one of the world's largest seafood processors and the leading shrimp processor globally (Chicken of the Sea, King Oscar, John West). It is comparable to Heiploeg as a vertically integrated shrimp processor serving retail and foodservice channels, but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Nomad Foods (Birds Eye): Nomad Foods owns Birds Eye and other frozen seafood brands across Europe, including Iglo and Findus. It competes with Heiploeg's frozen value-added seafood products in European retail freezers, with a much broader frozen foods portfolio and significantly larger scale.
• Nissui (Nippon Suisan Kaisha): Nissui is another major Japanese seafood conglomerate with global fishing, aquaculture, and processed seafood operations. Its portfolio in frozen shrimp, surimi, and value-added seafood overlaps materially with Heiploeg's product range.

Direct peers

• Clearwater Seafoods: Clearwater Seafoods is one of North America's largest vertically integrated shellfish (shrimp, scallop, lobster, clam) harvesters and processors. It is comparable to Heiploeg in species mix, vertical integration, and focus on premium shellfish for retail and foodservice channels.
• Princes Group: Princes is a major European CPG and seafood company supplying retail and foodservice across the UK and continental Europe with canned, frozen, and chilled seafood. It competes directly with Heiploeg in private-label and branded seafood categories for European retailers.
• High Liner Foods: High Liner Foods is one of North America's largest value-added frozen seafood companies, supplying retail and foodservice with branded and private-label shrimp, salmon, and whitefish products. It is comparable to Heiploeg on value-added frozen seafood strategy and channel mix.
• Royal Greenland: Royal Greenland is a leading European seafood processor specializing in shrimp, prawns, and coldwater species, supplying European retail and foodservice. It is a direct peer to Heiploeg in European shrimp processing, with similar species mix and value-added frozen product categories.
• Deutsche See: Deutsche See is Germany's largest fish producer and seller, now owned by Heiploeg's parent Parlevliet & Van der Plas. Operating 22 locations with 1,700+ employees and serving 35,000+ customers, it is a sister-company peer providing direct comparison on European seafood distribution and retail penetration.

Regional players

• Norway Seafoods (now part of Leroy Seafood): Leroy Seafood Group (which absorbed Norway Seafoods) is a leading European seafood processor in salmon, whitefish, and shellfish, supplying European retail and foodservice. It is comparable to Heiploeg on European seafood processing scale and channel coverage, though focused more heavily on salmon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heiploeg

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Heiploeg