International shipbuilding group Vard Group has sold its equipment supplier Vard Aqua to the Norwegian company Imenco.
Vard Aqua (former Storvik Aqua) has had a central position as a product developer and supplier of equipment for land-based and sea-based aquaculture since the company was established in 1985. The company is based in Sunndalsøra and has a total of 34 employees – ten people are employed at Sunndalsøra in Norway, 22 in Chile and two in Scotland. Vard Aqua has developed and is delivering equipment for oxygen addition, feeding, biomass measurement, sensors and logging.
VARD's core activity is shipbuilding, ship design and the development of high-tech equipment and solutions for advanced specialized vessels, and the group's management wishes to facilitate the further development of Vard Aqua in a professional environment that focuses on sustainable solutions for the aquaculture industry at sea and on land. Chairperson of Vard Aqua, Amrit Bhullar, said it has been important for VARD to find a good and right owner for the company. “We feel confident that Vard Aqua will have a rewarding future in Imenco. Vard Aqua fits in well with Imenco both as a company and through their product portfolio, strategies and goals.”
Imenco is a worldwide company with more than 330 employees, headquartered in Grinde outside Haugesund, Norway. The company, which was established in 1979, also has departments in Voll, Narvik, Scotland, the US, and China. Imenco consists of a group of companies within five business areas: Offshore Oil & Gas, Offshore renewables, Aquaculture, Marine & Naval and Industrial.
“We at Imenco continue to invest heavily in aquaculture and fish farming. This is one of the main areas in which we have decided to grow and take a significant part of the market. Now it is a natural step for us to search for exciting product areas, which will bring us new customers and markets, as well as where we can supplement with cameras and software that already exist in our product portfolio,” said CEO of Imenco, Rune Bringedal.
“We are well established with production, service/support and sales in Norway, Scotland and now Chile and will work further to establish sales and service departments in Central and Northern Norway, as well as in other countries where it is natural for us to be represented,” said VP for aquaculture and fish farming in Imenco, Anders Bastholm.
