Briefs

Thai Union Group will acquire a majority stake in Canadian lobster processor Les Pecheries de Chez Nous, TU said in a press release yesterday.
Thai Union, owner of brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West and King Oscar, will take a majority stake in the business while Francois “Frankie” Benoit, the existing owner and CEO, will retain a minority share. The company recorded sales of about C$50 million (Bt1.36 billion) last year.
Chez Nous, based in New Brunswick province, has direct relationships with fishermen in both Canada and Maine in the northeastern US and has a processing facility strategically located on the Gulf of St Lawrence. It is investing in a live-lobster holding facility.
Chez Nous employs a small full-time office staff managing operations and accounting, and up to 200 seasonal workers during the lobster harvest.
The deal comes after TU subsidiary Tri-Union Frozen Products, doing business as Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, acquired Orion Seafood International last year, making it one of the largest sellers of North Atlantic lobster in the US.
By acquiring Chez Nous, TU says it secures an even stronger integration footprint in the North Atlantic lobster category. The acquisition will give Thai Union Group companies enhanced traceability and quality control, and expanded product offerings into speciality grades and packs, it says.
“Thai Union’s vertical integration has been a key to our division’s success in the shrimp, tuna, and pasteurised-crab categories,” said Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods president and CEO Bryan Rosenberg.

Omnicom reports 30% growth

Omnicom Media Group (Thailand) posted more than 30-per-cent revenue growth in the first half of this year, which it says was mainly driven by its innovative solutions and leveraging the strengths of its core business units.
Chief executive officer Sunee Paripunnasaid that amid the changes in technology and consumer behaviour, growing and stabilising business operations in all sectors demanded a balance of management skills.
OMG had to adapt quickly to cope with the changing demands from clients, from a media agency into an integrated communication agency. In line with this, the company also brought together the strengths of its two agency brands, OMD and PHD, Sunee said.
“Through the combination of the above business practices, OMG agencies have grown rapidly in the past two years, with total billings growth of 50 per cent.”

Ekachai promotes IPO

Ekachai Hospital plans to roadshow its initial public offering (IPO) of 166.8 million shares or 27.8 per cent of its common shares from today until Friday in Bangkok and Samut Sakhon province, said Amnaj Eur-Areemitr, director of the company.
Amnaj said about Bt200 million of the proceeds would go towards building a new paediatric centre. Construction is expected to start next year and be complete in 2019. The rest will be used to renovate the company’s existing buildings.
In the first quarter of this year, the company recorded revenue of Bt119.23 million, up 21.56 per cent from the same period of last year.