About us

Local management and a lean head office

Our organization is built on a common strategy and company culture, and reinforced by local management and a lean head office. Cermaq has farming operations in Canada, Chile and Norway, and also a sales office in Miami, US.

Cermaq's companies

Cermaq Chile has operations in regions X, XI and XII, and is managed from Puerto Montt in Region X.

Cermaq Canada operates on both the east and west side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and is managed from the head office in Campbell River.

Cermaq Norway has operations in Finnmark and Nordland, and has administration in Steigen, Nordland.

The parent company, Cermaq Group AS, is located in Oslo, Norway.

Cermaq is a fully owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Global Management Team

Steven Rafferty

Steven Rafferty

CEO

Steven Rafferty was appointed CEO of Cermaq from March 2022. He was MD in Chile from 2019, and was also part of the Cermaq team from 2008-2010.

2019 05 29 Cermac 20

David Kiemele

Managing Director Canada

David Kiemele joined Cermaq in 2016 and was appointed Managing Director in 2017.

Knut Ellekjær

Knut Folmer Ellekjær

Managing Director Norway

Knut Ellekjær joined Cermaq in 2017. Mr. Ellekjær has broad management experience from the food industry.

Pedro Courard2

Pedro Courard

Managing Director Chile

Pedro was appointed Managing Director for Cermaq Chile from March 2022. He joined Cermaq in 2019 as Production Director.

Lars Galtung

Lars Galtung

Chief Communication and Sustainability Officer

Lars Galtung joined Cermaq in 2021, and was appointed Chief Communication and Sustainability Officer in September 2022.

May Line

May-Line Aga Åsheim

Chief Human Resources Officer

May-Line Aga Åsheim joined Cermaq in 2021, as Global Head of People and Culture, and was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in September 2022.

Ole Martin Grimsrud Cermaq

Ole Martin Grimsrud

Chief Financial Officer

Ole Martin Grimsrud joined Cermaq as CFO in September 2020. Mr. Grimsrud has broad international industry experience.

Axel Gustavsen

Axel Ranang Gustavsen

Chief Legal Officer

Axel Gustavsen joined Cermaq in 2016.

Board of Directors

Hirofumi Yamazaki

Hirofumi Yamazaki

Chair of the Board

Hirofumi Yamazaki was appointed Chair of the Board in 2023 and is located in Oslo.

Helge Midttun

Helge Midttun

Director

Helge Midttun is an external Director and has been at the Board of Cermaq since 2009.

20200207 pic2 Akihiko Takada from PR

Akihiko Takada

Director

Akihiko Takada has been on the Board of Directors since 2022 and is and is heading Mitsubishi Corporation's office in London.

Akihiko Soga

Akihiko Soga

Director

Akihiko Soga has been at the Board of Cermaq since 2022 and is working at the head office of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Company history

Two smolt in a glass bowl
Smolt is an early stage of the value chain of salmon farming

The main events in the history of the company are listed below.

Established in 1995, the history of Cermaq is a tale of transformation; from a grain trading company, to a global leader of salmon farming.

2022


Change of CEO

CEO Geir Molvik retires and Steven Rafferty is appointed new CEO, the first non-Norwegian CEO of Cermaq.

2020


iFarm project launched

Cermaq embarks on the ambitious goal towards individualized farming. iFarm was awarded four development licenses.

2018


Establishing UN Action Platform for Ocean

Cermaq is the first first business partner and a founding patron to the UN Action Platform for Sustainable Ocean Business.

2018


New processing plant

The new processing plant setting a new standard for the salmon industry is inaugurated at Storskjæret, Steigen, Norway.

2016


One company in Chile

The two MC group companies Cermaq Chile and Salmones Humboldt merges.

2016


New hatchery

The new hatchery at Forsan, Steigen, Norway is inaugurated in October, enabling Cermaq to be self-sufficient with smolt.

2016


Change of CEO

CEO Jon Hindar leaves Cermaq, and Geir Molvik is appointed new CEO.

2014


Mitsubishi Corporation acquires Cermaq

Mitsubishi Corporation acquires 100% of the shares in Cermaq ASA, and the company is delisted from Oslo Stock Exchange. Cermaq ASA changes name to Cermaq Group AS.

2013


EWOS is being sold

Cermaq sells its feed division EWOS to the private equity funds Altor and Bain Capital. The farming division, Mainstream, changes name to Cermaq.

2012


Acuisition of Cultivos Marinos Chiloé

Cermaq acquires the Chilean farming company Cultivos Marinos Chiloé.

2011


New production area in Nordland, Norway

Mainstream Norway establishes a new production area in Ofotfjorden.

2011


New production area in Region XII, Chile

Mainstream Chile starts production in Magallanes (region XII).

2011


Exiting non-core

Cermaq sells its shares in the non-core business Hordafôr.

2011


Taking part in the global agenda

Cermaq joins UN Global Compact and Transparency International Norway.

2011


Change of CEO

CEO Geir Isaksen leaves Cermaq after 15 years, and Jon Hindar is appointed new CEO.

2010


Entering Vietnam feed market

EWOS enters the fish feed market in Vietnam, in a joint venture with Anova.

2010


Exiting farming operations in Scotland

Cermaq sells out of fish farming activities in Scotland.

2009


New feed plant in Florø, Norway

EWOS Norway inaugurates a new production line in the Florø plant. The plant becomes Norway’s largest feed factory with an annual capacity of 250 000 tonnes. The plant is the world’s most modern and environmental friendly within fish feed plant.

2008


Opening research facility in Chile

Cermaq’s R&D division, EWOS Innovation, opens a research centre in Colaco, Chile.

2007


Expanding operations in Finnmark, Norway

Cermaq acquires Arctic Seafood with operations in Nordland and Troms, Norway, and divests the Arctic licenses in Troms to Salmar.

2006


Entering farming operations in Finnmark, Norway

Cermaq enters operations in Finnmark by acquiring Langfjordlaks AS, Polarlaks AS and Hammerfest Lakseslakteri AS.

2005


Significant farming operations in Norway

Cermaq acquires the remaining shares of Follalaks and becomes a significant player in Norwegian salmon farming.

2005


Acquiring Heritage , BC, Canada

Cermaq takes over the fish farming company Heritage, and thereby more than doubles its production in Canada.

2005


Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange

Cermaq ASA was listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange 24th of October.

2004


Expanding farming operations in Chile

Cermaq acquires the remaining shares and gains 100 % ownership in the Chilean farming company Salmones Andes. The operations are integrated with Mainstream Chile. Cermaq is becoming one of the largest producers in Chile.

2004


Entering farming operations in Norway

Cermaq aquires 34 % of the shares in Follalaks AS.

2004


Selling non-core business in Vaksdal and Skaun, Norway

Cermaq sells Vaksdal Industrier AS and the power plant at Buvika in Skaun municipality.

2003


Naming all farming operations Mainstream

Cermaq decides to assemble its farming operations under the unified name Mainstream. Farming operations in Canada and Scotland change names to Mainstream Canada and Mainstream Scotland.

2003


Selling majority shares in Unikorn AS

Cermaq sells its shareholding of 66 percent of the shares in Unikorn AS and becomes a minority shareholder in Unikorn AS.

2003


Divesting Aquascot Ltd.

Cermaq sells its shareholding of 49 % of the shares in Fiskå Mølle AS to Brødrene Nordbø AS, and Cermaq decides to sell the processing company Aquascot Ltd.

2002


Entering Salmones Andes

Cermaq acquires 30 % of the shares in the Chilean farming company Salmones Andes.

2002


Closing feed plants in Norway

EWOS decides to close the feed plant at Vestnes effective from April 2002 and the feed plant in Stavanger effective from March 2003.

2002


Selling feed plants in Norway

Cermaq, Skiens Aktiemølle ASA and Fritzøe Møller AS enters an agreement selling all their shares in the company Norgesmøllene DA to Felleskjøpet Øst Vest, effective from January 2003.

2001


Restructuring Statkorn

Cermaq enters into an agreement with Felleskjøpene to re-acquire 50 % of the shares in Statkorn AS (at the time Unikorn AS). Thereafter Cermaq sells 34 % of the shares in Unikorn AS to Bygdemøllenes Investeringsselskap AS.

2001


Selling the farm Staur Gård

Cermaq sells Staur Gård and Cermaq’s shareholding in Norsk Kornforedling AS to the Norwegian State represented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Cermaq divests its silos in Hamar, Skarnes, Melsomvik and at Sjursøya to Statkorn AS.

2001


Becoming Cermaq

The company changes its name from Statkorn Holding ASA to Cermaq ASA.

2000


Entering farming operations

Statkorn Holding AS enters farming operations through acquisition of the fish farming companies Pacific National Group Ltd and Prime Pacific Seafarms Ltd in Canada, Mainstream Salmones Y Alimentos S.A. in Chile and Mainland Salmon Ltd, Shetland Norse Ltd and Aquascot Group Ltd in Scotland.

2000


Large share issue

Statkorn Holding AS executes a share issue of NOK 1 500 million.

2000


NorAqua and EWOS merge

Statkorn Holding AS takes over from Felleskjøpene the remaining 43 % of the shares in NorAqua. NorAqua AS and EWOS AS merge, and the new company keeps the name EWOS.

2000


Acquiring EWOS

Statkorn Holding AS takes over of the fish feed companies EWOS AS, EWOS Ltd (UK), EWOS Chile S.A. and EWOS Canada Ltd from Danisco.

1999


Opening for private owners

The Norwegian state sells 20 % of the shares in the Statkorn Holding AS.

1999


Selling grain operations

Statkorn Holding AS sells its feed grain operations in Stormøllen and 50 % of the shares in Statkorn AS.

1999


Growing in fish feed

Stakorn Holding AS acquires 19 % of the shares in NorAqua, and with this becomes majority owner in the company (57 %).

1998


From AS to ASA

Statkorn AS changes to Statkorn Holding ASA.

1998


Restructuring Food Flour

Norgesmøllene DA discontinues food flour production in Stavanger and purchases 50 % of the shares in Food Manufacturing Services.

1996


Entering fish feed

The fish feed company NorAqua AS is established with Statkorn Holding AS as a minority owner (41%). Stormøllen’s aquaculture division is merges into NorAqua AS.

1995


Growing in livestock feed

Cermaq purchase 49% of shares in livestock feed company Fiskå Mølle AS.

1995


Restructuring flour operations

The flour division in Stormøllen AS is separated out and merged with flour operations in creating Norgesmøllene DA where Stakorn Holding Cermaq owns 60%.

1995


Statkorn AS was founded

The grain trading company Statkorn AS was founded in July when a new marketing organisation for grain was introduced in Norway. Statkorn AS was transferred to Stakorn Holding AS.

1994


Established 12.12.1994

The company Statkorn Holding AS (later Cermaq) was founded as a state owned company 12.12.1994 taking over shares in Stormøllen as of January 1995.