The private equity manager Corpfin Capital, one of the most established in the Spanish market, will go on holiday with a new portfolio company under its belt. It is the Basque producer of fishmeal and fish oil Grupo BarnaGrupo Barna, where the fund has closed the acquisition of a majority position in the shareholding, according to sources familiar with the transaction.

The firm led by Carlos Lavilla thus completes its second acquisition this year, after taking a 50% stake in Servicios Turísticos Marjal last February. As in that case, the new investment will be carried out with the resources of the manager’s fourth fund, Corpfin Capital Fund IV, which the firm raised in 2015 with €255 million.

The transaction in Grupo Barna is the result of months of discussions in the context of a bilateral sale process. The valuation of the company on which the transfer price is based has not been disclosed. In any case, Corpfin focuses on Spanish SMEs, in which it invests between €10 million and €50 million per transaction.

Growth plans for Grupo Barna

The entry of the private equity fund into Grupo Barna aims to drive the company’s expansion plans. Since 1959, it has been dedicated to the production and sale of fishmeal, fish oil and other fish-derived products, both for animal feed and for human consumption products, such as proteins and omega-3.

It currently operates in two production centres, in Mundaka and Santoña, and will soon open its first plant outside Spain, in Senegal. At the same time as agreeing on Corpfin’s entry, the company also agreed to acquire a plant in Andalusia, unique in the country due to its advanced technology, specialised in fish protein hydrolysate.

Want to know more?

Corpfin Capital entra en el productor de harinas de pescado Grupo Barna – Capital-riesgo.es

Corpfin Capital compra Barna -Webcapitalriesgo.com