Spanish tuna supplier Frime is launching a new retail brand in a bid to capitalize on the recent shifts and growth in domestic seafood consumption in Sapin.

The company launched its Koldfin brand of product in July as part of its strategy to grow in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment by adding value to supermarket seafood.

The product range includes the most common cuts on the market such as steaks, in addition to products such as portions for niche markets.

The company plans in the short term to expand the product range with different sub-brands under the Koldfin umbrella.

It also plans to expand with other species of fish and develop new formats and products to introduce the brand into categories where tuna is not present or has a great potential for growth.

Frime is the largest operator in the distribution and commercialization of processed yellowfin tuna in Europe, with a volume of 20,000 metric tons per year.

The company was established in 1977 and is the European commercial partner of the Mexican firm Pesca Azteca/PINSA, the world’s largest producer of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified yellowfin tuna.

The company, located in Barcelona and chaired by Salvador Ramon, has an annual turnover of €130 million ($153.7 million).

Frime has a staff of more than 300 employees distributed across three processing plants: one dedicated to the production of cephalopods and two factories dedicated to the production of tuna portions.

In addition to its new line, Frime will expand its production capacity in the last quarter of 2021 with a new factory in La Roca del Valles in Barcelona, with 8,500 square meters of processing plant for frozen products.

A new frozen warehouse with an area of 4,600 square meters located in Castelloli, Barcelona, is also planned for 2022.

In September of 2020, the group appointed Pablo Mugica as its new CEO. Mugica joined from Spanish frozen seafood firm Krustagroup where he had been CEO since 2009.

During his time with Krustagroup, the company saw growth in its retail business while adding an international dimension to its sales, forging strategic alliances with companies such as Camanchaca in the United States.