Our History in Brief
Throughout the last century, fish was Iceland's most important export, and it still is. Processing at first consisted in curing and salting, but towards the middle of the century freezing was introduced and was to become a widespread alternative to the earlier processing methods as an excellent way of getting raw materials in the freshest possible state to distant markets.Icelandic Group, formerly named Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation, was founded in 1942 with the following objective, according to the Company's Articles of Association. ".. to sell marine products intended for sale in foreign markets and manufactured in the freezing plants of its members, to undertake the procurement of supplies required for the operation of the freezing plants, seek new markets for the products manufactured by the plants and to experiment in new products and processing methods in the freezing plants".
Icelandic Group was formerly owned by its members and its task was to sell their products on the basis of mutual undertakings concerning product delivery and sales. The corporation was reformed as a limited liability company in 1996 and later listed on the Stock Exchange. In 2008 it was de-listed. The mutual obligation concerning delivery and sales was eventually discontinued and arm's length business with producers introduced in its place.
USA
In 1945, Icelandic® established its first overseas sales agency in New York.
At that time the infrastructure for frozen food transportation, storage and handling were already in place in the U.S. This infrastructure would provide the groundwork to enable Icelandic® to reach the U.S. market.
Business activities in the United States developed stage by stage, from direct sales to production and sales. In 1954 Icelandic® launched a premium new brand called “Icelandic® Brand Seafood”. This decision proved pivotal to its recognition and future preeminence in the food service seafood category. Icelandic® eventually leased space in Nanticoke, Maryland and began processing value-added seafood products. In 1968 a new processing facility opened in Cambridge, Maryland. It was in Cambridge where Icelandic® pioneered the mass-production of the battered fish portion. In 2005 a major milestone was reached when Samband® of Iceland Corp. (formerly Iceland Seafood Corporation) merged with Icelandic® USA Inc. The merged company is now one of the strongest players in the seafood industry. Icelandic® USA, Inc. corporate headquarters and production plant are now located in Newport News, Virginia
UK
In 1955 Icelandic Group gained a foothold in the United Kingdom with the establishment of a chain of fish and chips shops. Three years later manufacturing for retail packaging was begun in Gravesend. The Group's current activities, however, are based on products from Coldwater Seafood's plants in Grimsby, which started regular production in 1983. In 1995 the decision was made to merge the operation of the Faroe Seafood plant in Grimsby with the Coldwater operation, which operated two plants from that time. As before, the focus was on frozen products for retail chains. In 2003, the Company acquired a plant in Redditch, which produces chilled ready meals. The acquisition was a watershed in the Group's UK operations, as sights were now set firmly on the manufacturing and sales of chilled seafood for a growing market. Two years later, the Group acquired two more companies specialising in chilled or fresh products for the UK market, Seachill in Grimsby and the seafood division of Cavaghan & Gray. Currently Icelandic Group operates three manufacturing plants and a Sales and Marketing division under the name Icelandic Group UK.
Germany and France
In Germany, Icelandic Germany has been operating since 1981, selling products from manufacturers in numerous countries and commissioning the manufacture of products for both the retail and food service market. In 2005 Icelandic Group acquired Pickenpack Hussman und Hahn, a powerful company in the production of value added seafood with focus on the retail market in Germany and other European countries as well as supplying the food service sector. Pickenpack was founded in 1906 and Hussmann & Hahn two years later. The office of Icelandic Germany was closed in 2006 and all the operations transferred to Pickenpack H&H.
Icelandic France, started up in 1989. It sells its products to both the retail and food service market. Icelandic France was also responsible for the Spanish market to begin with, until a separate company was established in Barcelona in 1996. In 2003 the Group invested in a Marseilles company, Barogel, which was best known for its shrimp and molluscs products. Approximately one year later the company Comigro Geneco in Paris was acquired; the company operates in the same areas of business as Icelandic France, but focuses on other species of whitefish. In the year 2006 Icelandic Group acquired a processing plant in Wimille producing frozen seafood products under the name Icelandic Boulogne Sur Mer.
Other markets
Other markets were also important for seafood from Iceland, and Icelandic Group has established sales and marketing companies in the major ones.
In Japan, Icelandic Japan has been operating since 1990. Located in Tokyo, the company has from the start focused on sales to the Japanese and other Asian markets, concentrating on certain product categories, such as capelin products, redfish and Greenland halibut.
Icelandic Iberica in Barcelona was launched in 1996. The company was originally based on sales contacts established from France, but it soon developed into a strong company with a wide customer base. The company focuses principally on food service companies. Its market areas are the countries on the northern shore of the Mediterranean. In 2005 Icelandic Iberica extended its scope of operation when it acquired Ecomsa, an entity in S-Spain in the production and distribution of seafood.
In recent years footholds have been established in Norway, West coast USA and China, principally for non-marketing matters, such as sourcing of fish and other services. The merger with Blue Ice in 2005 resulted in much stronger Asian operations. Blue Ice focuses on sourcing, trading and primary production and several processing plants in China and Thailand.
The Icelandic Group has firm roots reaching far back in time. The Company has expanded rapidly in recent decades, making further inroads into its principal markets. Icelandic has turned a page in its history with significant investments in companies specialising in fresh and chilled seafood in addition to expansions on markets for frozen seafood. The definition of the market in which Icelandic operates has become much wider than ever before.
Reykjavík Maritime Museum
Icelanders have from the time of settlement depended on fishing. Settlement at Faxaflói Bay was founded on fishing and fish processing. Since the 19th century, the growth of Reykjavik and nearby Hafnarfjörður was largely based on the fisheries, as well as improved living conditions in the 20thcentury.
The fishing industry has been the foundation of prosperity in Iceland.