Ventiqueros and Bío Bío negotiate merger

Christian Pérez Pesquera Bío Bío started the search for a partner earlier this year, in an attempt to ease the difficult financial situation in the company. Now, this pursuit has met the interest of the German group Schörghuber -controllers of Ventisqueros, which want to grow in the seafood industry and see a great potential in the Chilean salmon industry. According to the financial journal Diario Financiero, some estimates suggest that Bio Bio produced about 12,000 tonnes of salmonids in 2012, while Ventisqueros produced slightly over 25,000 tonnes, so if the operation is successful, the merger company would become one of the largest salmon producers in Chile. The German group Schörghuber purchased Ventisqueros in 2011, and turning this salmon division into their fourth business unit, together with construction and real estate, beverages and hotels. Some sources close to the process commented that the German group wants to become one of the leading companies in the local salmon industry.