BANGKOK (AP) -- Thailand's biggest canned seafood company said Wednesday it agreed to buy John West tuna and other seafood brands in Europe from a private equity firm for euros 680 million ($885 million).
The acquisition by Thai Union Frozen Products PCL of a business formerly owned by HJ Heinz Co. will make the company one of the world's largest canned seafood producers, it said in a statement.
Trilantic Capital Partners bought the brands which include Petit Navire, Hyacinthe Parmentier and Mareblu from Heinz in 2006. They had sales of euros 448 million in the year through March 2010.
Four processing plants in France, Portugal, Seychelles and Ghana and five fishing vessels, which will more than double Thai Union's fleet, are part of the deal.
