Koga Maris

ON JANUARY 11, 1993 KOGA – MARIS COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY RYSZARD GROENWALD

Along with the employees of the former state-owned company PPIUR “Koga” Hel. Adopted the name “Koga-Maris” ( sea koga ) was an attempt to keep the tradition and continuity of Hel fishing and fish processing. At the beginning there were two rented offices and 10,000 zlotys of share capital.

The initial business was solely trading:

  1. Import of frozen fish from Norway by ships to the harbor of Hel,
  2. Export of fresh cod to Denmark and France
  3. Export of frozen Sprat to Yugoslavia – in cooperation with Hel fishermen and Russian depots ( buying and freezing at sea ).

OWN RESOURCE BASE

The development of the company enforced the need to have its own resource facilities. Despite the lack of experience, in December 1994 the fishing boat “DAR-306”, later renamed “HEL-111”, was purchased on credit from the Swedish company “Seamator AB”.

The leased old fishing net warehouse, was after reconstruction in 1995, adopted for the first modest fish processing plant. In the same year, “Koga-Maris” began producing anchovis fish preserves. Our own recipes, new product assortments and good quality allowed a significant increase in sales of these products to the domestic market and export (“IKEA” brand, among others).

In 1996, the company purchased a fishing boat “UST-84” – now “HEL-112” – in a tender from PPIUR “Korab”. The growth of its own fishing trade made it possible to start selling frozen fish ( sprat and herring ) for export. Another fishing unit became in 2002 the fishing boat “HEL-102” purchased from a private shipowner from Hel.

Poland’s membership in the European Union marks a new chapter in the company’s history. Active acquisition of development funds made it possible to start a number of investments aimed at the development of Baltic raw material for consumption. Since the beginning, the company’s existence has been based on product quality. This strategy in the circumstances of Hel ( an unfavorable land location ) was the only guarantee of survival in the market.

Between 2004 and 2015, the manufacturing plant at the Hel fishing port was completely modernized, and fishing units were rebuilt, equipping them with RSW systems. The technology of descending seawater as a prerequisite for high quality pelagic fish was also introduced into the on-shore processing plant.

As a result of the adopted specialization of fishing and production – sprat and herring for consumption – the production of “anchovis” preserves ( sale to the company “King Oscar” ) was replaced in favor of an increase in freezing potential. Additional supplementation of fishing quotas was the purchase of more fishing boats in 2016 “HEL-103” ( ex “WŁA -288″ ) , in 2019 ” HEL 150” , in 2022 ” HEL – 155” ( ex ” WŁA – 254 ) and ” HEL – 156 ” ( ex KOŁ – 61 GABI ).

The current fleet ( 2022 ) is 7 fishing trawlers.

Currently, following ownership transformations, “Koga-Maris” Ltd. is a family business based on its own fishing and processing of high-quality Baltic pelagic fish.