Marel has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Curio, an innovative primary processing equipment provider for whitefish processing. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
The transaction is in line with Marel’s strategic objective to be a full-line supplier with standard and modular building blocks of advanced food processing solutions across the fish, meat and poultry industries. Curio’s complementary product portfolio of heading, filleting and skinning systems brings Marel closer to becoming a full-line provider to the global fish industry.
‘The acquisition is excellent news for our customers across the world as the synergies resulting from joining forces will fuel innovation and grow our solution offering. I truly look forward to working closer together and expect great things from our joint innovation efforts,’ said Curio’s CEO Elliði Hreinsson.
Marel and Curio have a history of working together in partnership to deliver full-line projects around the world including overarching Innova software from Marel to enable seamless flow across all processing stages. In partnership with Marel, Curio will utilise Marel’s sales and service network to extend its global reach with the objective of serving customers better.
The transaction is conducted in two phases; 40% at closing and the additional 10% on 1st January 2021. Curio’s operational profit is expected to have a positive impact on Marel Fish EBIT margin when financials are consolidated from 1 January 2021. Curio’s founder Ellidi Hreinsson, will stay with the company. Marel has an option to acquire the remaining 50% of shares in four years.
‘We are super excited to join forces with Curio, an innovative provider of equipment for primary processing for the whitefish segment, bringing us closer to becoming a full-line provider in the global fish segment,’ commented Marel CEO Árni Oddur Thórðarson.
‘In recent years, Marel and Curio have achieved great results collaborating on many full-line projects with some of the most forward thinking fish processors in the industry. With Marel´s full-line approach, overarching Innova software and by being a reliable maintenance partner in the field, we help our customers further automate production in a seamless flow, securing more valuable and safer products to global consumers.’
