In the story of Eide Fjordbruk, it is our staff and the local community who are the heroes.
Philosophy
Our philosophy is simple: Happy fish are tasty fish. And the people working here are the guarantors that the fish are happy, which in turn ensures a good local community with safe jobs.
The people
The people working at Eide are our backbone. Their concern is for the fish, each other and the value of safe jobs. The Eide family run the company with a generational perspective. This means that everything we do shall help create a healthy, long-term, sustainable business.
Sondre is a third-generation fish farmer, holding an MBA from San Francisco, a law degree from the University of Oslo and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. A former biathlon athlete, Sondre continues to enjoy being active in his free time. In the Biathlon Junior World Championships of 2008 in Ruhpolding, Germany, Sondre won a silver medal.
Christoffer is a certified accountant with an MSC in Economics and Business Administration from NHH Norwegian School of Economics. He is now working on an MBA in Sustainable Seafood Management. Previously, he has worked in the seafood department at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and also has experience working at the water’s edge on fish farm nettings after having grown up in a fish farming family in Nordhordland, Western Norway.
Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, an MBA from HULT International Business School in San Francisco and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining Eide in 2015, she worked for nine years in the Beverage industry in Germany, both as Head of Retail and as Logistics Specialist. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing in the winter and mountain hiking in the summer.
Vidar has worked in the fish farming industry ever since he was 14. At that time, he had a summer job at a fish farm in Hålandsdalen, Western Norway. Vidar has a degree in Aquaculture and has held a number of different positions, including Operational Manager and Station Manager. His hobbies include farming, hiking and cycling.
Randi has been part of Eide Fjordbruk since the mid-80s. She has studied biology. She has supported Knut Frode in building Eide Fjordbruk, in addition to taking care of a very busy and extremely active family. She spends much of her free time outdoors, often at her cabin in the mountains at Geilo.
Anders has his training in ICT Operations from Øystese Upper Secondary School. He has previously worked in IT for six years in the public sector, as well as six years as a consultant for private businesses. He has two children and a dog, which keep him more than busy in his free time.
Hans Martin has an Engineering degree from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and has previously worked as Project Manager in the oil industry. Today, he coordinates some of the most forward-thinking projects in the business. Hans Martin also has a passionate interest in hunting and outdoors activities, in Norway as well as overseas.
Lena holds an MA (Hons) in Business Management from the University of Edinburgh, as well as being trained in Office and Administrative Skills. She started her career as an HR Coordinator, and has worked with HR and staffing-related tasks for a number of different companies. Lena is active in outdoor sports and is a member of the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps.
Erik has studied Aquaculture at Haugesund Maritime Høgskule (Haugesund Maritime University College, now part of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences). He has over 30 years’ experience through Ewos, AS Bolaks, and as an independent consultant prior to becoming Production Manager at Eide Fjordbruk in 2017. Erik is an active man; his merits include a 2nd Dan rank in karate.
Anders-Jan holds a degree in Aquaculture Engineering from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. After having worked in practical research in Scotland and at the Matre research station of the Institute of Marine Research, he joined Eide. He has worked as Production Manager since 1999, with responsibility for smolt.
Erlend is trained in Aquaculture, and holds an Engineering degree in Subsea Technology, Operation and Maintenance from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. He also holds a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from NTNU in Trondheim, Norway. As a former active biathlon athlete, Erlend was born with exorbitant amounts of energy. He enjoys action-packed activities in his free time, and is involved in everything from mountain biking to running in the summer to skiing and kiting in the winter.
Britt Kari holds a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She has varied experience working with fish health, livestock and small domesticated animals. Britt Kari is from the village of Røldal in Western Norway; she is “born with skis on her feet” and spends a lot of time outdoors.
Olav comes from a position as Operational Manager for Bybanen AS. Previously, he has held various positions at Framo Engineering and OneSubsea, and thereby has a broad range of experience from various roles. He is originally from Telemark, Eastern Norway, and in his free time he runs a small farm with his family in Hålandsdalen.
Ørjan started his working career as a holiday cover in the fish farming industry. He is an automation technician by training, with an apprenticeship behind him at Norsk Hydro in Skien, Eastern Norway. He has worked for many years as Project Manager in ships electronics and an offshore service engineer. He is an avid deer hunter in his free time, and has recently gotten himself a hunting dog, which keeps him very busy!
Jostein was one of the first staff members at Eide Fjordbruk, and has been with the company through its ups and downs. This has given him unique experience and knowledge of the fish farming industry. Jostein lives on the island of Varaldsøy, a few stones’ throws away from the facilities for which he is responsible.
Lars-Thomas holds a master’s degree in aquaculture and seafood from the University of Bergen. In addition, he has certificates of apprenticeship in both aquaculture and industrial plumbing. He has been working in aquaculture since 2010 and began working in Eide Fjorbruk in 2014. On his spare time he works on the family farm in Ånneland in Gulen. Besides work Lars-Thomas enjoys watching football and staying physically active.
Trygve has worked for Eide Fjordbruk since 2007, and is currently Operational Manager of the Snilstveitøy facilities. Trygve and his team have won several awards for excellent production of salmon. In addition to being Operational Manager, he is also responsible for the apprentices in the Hardanger region.
Tomas is a mechanic by training with experience from procurement and facilitation in the oil industry. He is currently responsible for the Fensfjorden facilities, where he and his team are at the forefront of testing new aquaculture technology. His hobbies include farming sheep and spending time at sea.
Stein Inge holds a trade certificate in Aquaculture and has been Operational Manager at the Osterfjord facilities since 2015. This has given him a deep understanding of trout farming. He also has the professional responsibility for the apprentices in the Nordhordland region. In his leisure time, Stein Inge is actively involved in outdoor sports as well as CrossFit and more.
Frøydis is an Operational Manager at the Eidestøa hatchery and has studied Aquaculture at Sogn og Fjordane University College. Since 2002, she has worked with salmon, and has vast knowledge and experience in the area of hatcheries. She is responsible for apprentices working at hatcheries, and is an external examiner during trade examinations in Aquaculture.
Our history
The Eide family have a tradition in food production dating back to the 1600s. For nearly 50 years, we have been involved in developing the Norwegian fish farming industry. Our perspective has always been long term, and so it shall continue.
The Salmon Eye visitor centre was a reality. Initially the application was rejected, but after updating the concept and adjusting the application, the government made a new assessment. On 12 June 2019, we received the positive message that Eide Fjordbruk had the “green light” to go ahead with the spectacular visitor centre concept. Salmon Eye will be located at Hågardsneset near Rosendal in Western Norway. The purpose of the visitor centre is to give an objective presentation of the net footprint for seafood production, including positive and negative footprints. The plans are to open the centre in the spring/summer of 2021.
2018
In 2018, Eide Fjordbruk is nominated and named Gazelle of the Year in Hordaland County, and as winner for Hordaland, the company is nominated for Gazelle of the Year for Norway. In competition with a number of outstanding gazelle companies in the entire country, Eide Fjordbruk wins the prize as Gazelle of the Year for Norway. The business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv has named Norwegian gazelle companies since 2003. In the summer of 2018, Eide Fjordbruk buys just over 80% of the shares in the hatchery facility Lialaks AS in Solund Municipality. Eide Fjordbruk owns and continues to operate the facility together with brothers Svein and Arvid Lien. Svein Lien continues as Managing Director of Lialaks after Eide Fjordbruk becomes majority owner. On 12 November 2018, owner, Managing Director and fish farm founder Knut Frode Eide passed away at only 59 years of age, following an eight year long battle with brain cancer. For over 30 years, Knut Frode developed Eide Fjordbruk from a small moonlight business to a company with a turnover of hundreds of millions and activity in many different municipalities. In many ways, Eide Fjordbruk was Knut Frode’s life. It is an enormous loss to the family, the business and staff that Knut Frode passed away at such a young age.
2017
Managing Director Knut Frode Eide is named Person of the Year for the seafood industry in 2017. The winner is named following a vote by the entire seafood industry. The award is given to a candidate who has done well for his/her own business as well as for the broader community. In the awards ceremony, emphasis is given to the openness in his own business and work, as well as the candidate’s contribution to increasing the reputation of the industry. The jury’s reasoning gives special emphasis to the fact that Knut Frode has always been “ahead of his time”, and that he and his company have created valuable jobs for the local community. In 2017, Eide Fjordbruk begins developing a unique pilot project in digitisation. The project is carried out together with the Trondheim-based company Searis AS. It is a data platform that is currently being developed, with the product name Clarify. This new data platform will facilitate discussion between experts in order to turn data into wise decisions and thereby improve the operation of fish farms.
2016
The 29th of March 2016 will go down in the company’s history books as one of its best days ever. After a year-long conflict with the government, Eide is granted compensation for seafood licences which Eide and Fyllingsnes should have received in 2009. The company now has eight commercial seafood licences in addition to one R&D licence, and is thereby well equipped for future growth as a seafood manufacturer.
Facilities
All of Eide’s business operations, from the smolt facility at Støa to the nettings in the fjords, are designed to live in harmony with nature and to secure long-term sustainability.
We are at nine locations in the Hardanger and Nordhordland regions of Western Norway. What all of these have in common are the unique fjords and Western Norwegian nature. The combination of warm water from the Atlantic Ocean, meltwater from the mountains and fresh Norwegian air make the Western Norwegian fjords the best place to live for both fish and people—in our opinion, at least.
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