Our Story

Our fishing tradition is a source of national pride and every Icelander is connected to this way of life.

Our suppliers have fished the oceans of not only Iceland, but the entire world for over a century. We have taken on the elements to harvest a rich, nutritious food source ensuring the prosperity and health of our customers.

In today’s seafood industry, methods have changed and technology has developed, but in our commitment to sustainability this very same integrity is now more essential than ever. Our operations are directed at facilitating efficient fishing and processing methods that care for the environment, while providing our customers with North Atlantic seafood of the highest quality.

History of Icelandic Japan
and Icelandic China

1942

IFPC (Sölumiðstöð
Hraðfrystihúsanna hf.) established

Following the development of new technology for freezing and processing in the 1940s, there was a sharp increase in the production of frozen seafood. At the beginning of World War II, however, exports stagnated, markets closed, and only small quantities of salted fish were being sold to Spain and Portugal. Under these circumstances, IFPC or the Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation was founded on the 22nd of February 1942, by a group of Icelandic fish processors. All sales remained in the hands of the Icelandic government, which made an agreement with the British government that all frozen fish handled by the IFPC would be sold to the UK. Agreements were ratified and renewed annually. The pioneers and founders of IFPC were Einar Sigurðsson (first chairman of IFPC), Ólafur Þórðarson and Elías Þorsteinsson and by the time the war ended, IFPC had started selling fish to the US market.

1942

1945

Coldwater founded in the USA, and the brand Icelandic first registered in the US market

Before sales to the US market began, Jón Gunnarsson had been hired to build up the business in North America. Coldwater was founded by IFPC in 1945 and it soon became its main sales and marketing company. Great emphasis was placed on quality and a new brand named Icelandic was created. There was a great deal of collaboration between Coldwater and IFPC, which, among other things, led IFPC to establish its own quality control and technical department to assist the fish processing companies in regards to quality and to change and improve work processes. This department (Icelandic Seafood Services ehf.) is still to this date responsible for all inspections and quality control operations for Icelandic Japan and Icelandic China. Later, IFPC established subsidiaries in Europe, the United Kingdom (1956), Germany (1981), France (1989), and Spain (1996).
1945

1967

1967 First capelin shipped to Japan

The first capelin was sold to Japan in 1967. When Japan’s catch of capelin—called “shishamo” in Japanese—declined sharply and the market needed a suitable substitute product, Icelanders became the first to offer capelin to Japan. A five-ton sample was sent the first year, and the subsequent year Japanese importers purchased a whopping 500 tons of capelin. Since 1967, hundreds of thousands of tons of capelin have been sold to the Japanese, and later, Asian markets.
1967

1971

The first capelin roe

A sample of capelin roe was prepared under rudimentary conditions, sent to Tokyo, and subsequently an order was placed for 200 tons of frozen capelin roe. Like capelin, Iceland was the first nation to start trading capelin roe with Japan and this business has continued ever since.
1971

1985

Deep-sea redfish (Mentella) breakthrough

The lead-up to deep-sea redfish sales to Japan was quite long—for about 5 years—but it can be said that 1985 saw a revolution in the redfish trade between Iceland and Japan, and deep-sea redfish became the main groundfish species for sale in Japan for the next few decades.
1985

1989

IFPC Sales Representative Office established in Tokyo

Growing business in Asia called for greater proximity to the market, both due to distance and the time difference. Helgi Þórhallsson was the first managing director of the IFPC Sales Representative Office in Tokyo in 1989 and on November 15, 1990, IFPC established Icelandic Japan KK. In Tokyo, Helgi was the first Managing Director of the company. Icelandic Japan KK. has since been selling into key markets in Asia like Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and others. In the early 1990s Icelandic started selling Greenland halibut to new markets in China and Taiwan, as well.
1989

2004

Icelandic China established in Qingdao, China

In January 2004 Icelandic China was established. The initial purpose was to look after “processing projects” in China for Icelandic Germany, Icelandic UK, Icelandic USA, Icelandic Spain, and Icelandic France. Producers would send their raw material to China (Alaska Pollock, redfish, cod, salmon etc.) and in return receive finished products for their markets in the EU, Japan, and USA. In 2010, Icelandic China also started to actively trade seafood in China—the 2nd largest seafood market in the world—for local consumption. Business has increased year by year and is now much larger than processing for EU and US markets. In 2015 Icelandic China started selling directly through its own location in the Jinan fish market in Shangdong.
2004

2005

The IFPC becomes Icelandic Group

The year 2005 saw IFPC rebranded as Icelandic Group.
2005

2006

Icelandic Japan starts direct sales of capelin roe to markets in Asia outside of Japan

Prior to 2006, importers in China and Taiwan preferred buying Icelandic capelin roe from Japanese importers as that was a guarantee for quality. It was a landmark year for expansive trust in Icelandic as a family of companies offering the highest quality products.
2006

2014

Icelandic Japan starts processing Icelandic mackerel in China for the Japanese market

Icelandic mackerel began being imported to China under the strictest quality controls for later sale in the Japanese market.
2014

2015

Brim (now ÚR or Útgerðarfélag Reykjavíkur hf.) acquires Icelandic Japan from Icelandic Group

The company Brim hf. (ÚR) acquires Icelandic Asia and thus strengthened its seafood supply chain. This meant a return to the original ownership structure—Icelandic was owned by the producers and with this Icelandic again became a part of a vertically integrated chain reaching from catching to processing to sales and marketing.
2015

2019

Brim (formerly HB Grandi hf.) buys Icelandic Asia from ÚR

Icelandic Asia is acquired by one of Iceland’s largest seafood producers, Brim. With the purchase Brim hf. joined a large group of Iceland´s key seafood producers working closely with Icelandic in sales and marketing of their products in Asia. Icelandic Asia is and has always been true to the IFPC founders promise to sell and market premium Icelandic and North Atlantic seafood in the global market.

2019
THE WORLD OF Icelandic Today

Icelandic Seafood
Premium Icelandic seafood products, sustainably sourced.

Serving markets in Asia, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea and China.
For markets outside Asia, visit Icelandic’s Global Site

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Contact

Icelandic Japan K.K.
Prime Terrace Kamiyacho 302
4-1-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 105-0001

Tel: +81 03 5472 0450
Fax: +81 5472 0451
Email: info@icelandic.is

China office
Office 1708, 8 Qingling Road Qingdao, 266101, China
Tel: +86 532 8192 7861
Iceland Office
Fiskislod 14, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Tel: +354 540 7753

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