back
Bolton Group announced the acquisition of Wild Planet Foods, the innovation leader and pioneer in the natural and sustainably caught canned seafood market in the United States. This transaction follows the recent acquisition of Tri Marine in 2019, one of the world’s leading sustainable tuna supply companies. These strategic acquisitions confirm Bolton Group’s position as a global player in the sustainable seafood category.
Wild Planet has been repeatedly recognized by the most reputable 3rd party sustainability organizations as the true leader in setting the standard for sustainability across the canned seafood category. Furthermore, with national distribution in the US market, Wild Planet’s expertise is leveraged by some of the nation’s most influential grocers to set corporate environmental standards.
Going forward, Bolton Group and Wild Planet will work together on a path toward a best-in-class sustainable supply chain, a path that both companies have long embraced. Wild Planet’s tuna has been 100% sustainably caught since the company’s inception in 2004 due to pole & line fishing methods. All other products within the Wild Planet portfolio are also caught according to the highest sustainability standards. Bolton Group’s commitment to sustainability is very strong as well, demonstrated by the efforts to evolve its seafood portfolio from being 70% sustainably caught today to 100% sustainably caught by 2024.
Bolton Group and Wild Planet share a common vision and, given both are family businesses, there is a solid entrepreneurial spirit at the roots of their success. Wild Planet was founded in 2004 by Bill Carvalho, a 30-year seafood industry veteran and Bolton Group is a family-owned company with over 70 years of history, founded by Joseph Nissim and now led by his daughter, Marina Nissim.
Bill Carvalho, President & Founder of Wild Planet says “Bolton Group and Wild Planet are very well aligned. Both groups have true entrepreneurial passion for product excellence with a view to delighting our customers. We share a deeply-rooted ethical culture, and both companies emphasize building lasting relationships with suppliers and clients. Finally, and of great importance is our shared respect for and commitment to preserving our oceans and the planet for future generations. For all these reasons, I am proud and honored to enter into this agreement and look forward to the growth and success we will surely share into the future. I am grateful that Bolton recognizes the strategic value of Wild Planet and I am exceptionally eager to start working together!”
Bolton will retain the Wild Planet name and will invest in the continued growth of the company and support its long-standing brand position as the first large-scale sustainably focused canned seafood company in the US that delivers unparalleled taste and nutrition with a focus on protecting the marine ecosystem for future generations.
Marina Nissim, Executive Chairwoman of Bolton Group, said, “We welcome Wild Planet into our family and we are very proud that Bill Carvalho accepted our offer to join Bolton and to continue his visionary path with us, supported by his skilled and experienced team of people. We highly appreciate the culture and the achievements of Wild Planet and we are looking forward to starting this new and exciting chapter together. We are more and more focused on accelerating our growth at the international level as a global player in iconic, sustainable and purposeful consumer brands”.
The Wild Planet acquisition marks another strategic step towards Bolton’s international development goals and will allow the company to grow its presence in the US tuna market, which is the largest in the world.
