The likely upcoming sale process for Portobello Capital’s stake in Grupo Iberica de Congelados (Ibercosa) will attract a lot of trade and private equity interest, with the Madrid, Spain-based  private equity (PE) investor in a strong position, said one banker.

According to one source, Gorjan Nikolik of Rabobank, investors should look at unifying Ibercosa and Grupo Nueva Pescanova. However, Nikolik acknowledged the issues with a move like this. Other sources said this is not likely to be a move the management of Ibercosa is likely to want to see, at least in the short-term.

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The investment from Mitsui & Co in Mark Foods shows large, global groups are realizing acquiring or investing in a US distributors is the fastest way to get access to the market, said the advisor to the giant Japanese conglomerate on the deal.

“Global companies are realizing it takes a lifetime to build a market position in the US. The only way to achieve a strong position in the US market is through partnership or an acquisition of a well-established company,” Birgir Brynjolfsson of Antarctica Advisors, who worked as the exclusive advisor to Mitsui on the deal, told Undercurrent News.

Mitsui, which has also has minority stakes in the salmon farming arm of Chile’s Multiexport Foods and Vietnamese shrimp supplier Minh Phu Seafood, already has a US operation involved in the food sector.

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