Atlas Premium Lietuva will acquire Espersen Lietuva

A few weeks ago, the fish processing group Espersen announced that it would halt operations this summer in the Klaipėda Free Economic Zone (FEZ) and relocate its production to Poland. Replacing it will be Atlas Premium Lietuva, whose main shareholder is the Latvian company SIA Atlas Premium, which collaborates with the Norwegian company Hofseth International. This Norwegian company owns its own salmon farms and a biotechnology firm.

The transfer of the factory is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025. This step brings positive changes for the 295 employees of UAB Espersen Lietuva—all of them will continue working under the new owner.

Initially, SIA Atlas Premium had planned to build a new factory, but upon learning about Espersen Lietuva‘s decision to cease operations, it began negotiations, which resulted in a successful acquisition.

In Latvia, the company specializes in processing fresh and frozen whitefish, particularly Atlantic cod, and its factory near Riga already supplies products to U.S. retail chains.

Meanwhile, UAB Espersen Lietuva was the first greenfield investment in the Klaipėda FEZ. However, since the summer of 2022, the company has faced decreased demand, which led to some layoffs. According to media reports, the fish processing sector is experiencing a downturn in demand, with forecasts predicting reduced production needs. In response to overcapacity in Europe, Espersen decided to concentrate its operations in Poland, which will allow for optimized logistics, planning, and supply chain management, ensuring more efficient operations.

This investment marks a new development direction for Atlas Premium Lietuva in Lithuania. Production in Klaipėda will be developed in close cooperation with its Norwegian partner Hofseth International, which operates across the entire seafood production cycle—from roe cultivation to final products. The company owns several salmon and trout farming sites and processing plants. Additionally, its biotech subsidiary Hofseth BioCare produces products derived from salmon—such as supplement ingredients, oil, powders, and more.

Hofseth International was founded by Roger Hofseth, who began his career in the fisheries sector. He established the company in 2001, and it is now one of the leaders in the field. His goal is to make it the most sustainable fisheries company in the world. One example is the IceFresh technology introduced in the U.S., which reduces CO₂ emissions during product transportation.