March 9, 2016 – The world’s largest trout egg producer, Troutlodge, locked up access to cutting edge aquaculture technology on Tuesday with the acquisition of Spanish aquaculture machinery developer Integraqua.
On left, Enrique Vega, owner of Integraqua and on right, Steve Brown, CEO of Troutlodge.
As a new division of Troutlodge, Integraqua’s existing and developing technologies will become part of a company that already sells about 500 million eggs annually into 60 countries worldwide.
The deal gives Troutlodge all shares in Spain-based Integraqua, purchased from company owners Enrique Vega and Dr. Julio Martin.
Troutlodge, based just outside Seattle, acquires Integraqua’s technical know-how at a time when aquaculture companies worldwide increasingly prize technological advancements. Integraqua, for instance, sells an industry-leading egg sorting and counting machine called the Q-sorter, which has revolutionized sorting and counting for Troutlodge. It counts and sorts 2 million eggs per hour – many times faster than any alternative that Troutlodge has previously used.
“There’s just nothing on the market like the Qsorter,” Tom Elliot, Troutlodge’s incubation manager of over 30 years, said.
Integraqua’s technical expertise, slate of six machines and its coming innovations were clear signs of opportunity to Troutlodge CEO Steve Brown, given the tech-infused climate of today’s business world.
“Troutlodge realizes that the world is changing, and aquaculture and agriculture are becoming more mechanized, more high tech, and more efficient. This is part of the business we need to nurture,” Brown said. “So this was a really good move for us to become more in tune with world class technologies and systems.”
Troutlodge will now sell Integraqua’s advanced sorting and counting machines, which use machine vision and mechatronics, a multidisciplinary field of engineering.
Brown emphasizes human capital as a major asset involved in the purchase. The brains behind the breakthrough technologies are owners Vega, who founded the company in 2007, and Dr. Martin.
Vega has 12 years of experience inventing and integrating aquaculture technologies and an advanced degree in aquaculture technology from the Instituto Galego de Formacion en Acuicultura. His rare talent for improving processes in economical ways led him to establish Integraqua in 2007, and it took off at first as a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) provider that sold 30 systems around the globe.
Integraqua had also developed a sorting machine for flat fish which is in use by European flat fish producers. Its product list also includes fish sorters, fish counters, and complete recirculation systems.
Dr. Martin, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Vigo in Northern Spain, has contributed the software and electronics for the machine vision used in many of the Integraqua products.
Vega will remain the general manager of Integraqua and will work directly with Brown to assist Troutlodge’s worldwide systems and technology advancements while marketing Integraqua’s machines and know-how to the aquaculture industry worldwide. Dr. Martin will continue his duties as a professor at the University of Vigo while contributing his talents to future Integraqua products on a case by case basis.
Integraqua will maintain its offices and manufacturing headquarters in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The deal gives Integraqua access to a widely expanded sales network, making it a win win for both companies.
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