Frinsa invests €32 million to expand Portuguese subsidiary A Poveira, tuna daily capacity reaches 1 million cans

Grupo Frinsa, a canning group headquartered in Ribeira in Spain's Galicia region, has implemented a €32 million (US$34.56 million) capital investment plan for the technological modernization and capacity expansion of its Portuguese subsidiary A Poveira's plant in Póvoa de Varzim. The news was released on November 13, 2026.

Founded in 1961, the group acquired a 75% stake in A Poveira in 2019, and this investment continues that strategic arrangement. The funds are being deployed in two phases: the first phase of €17 million (US$18.36 million) has been fully invested to commission two automated processing lines, handling European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) respectively; the second phase adds €15 million (US$16.2 million) for a new sardine canning production hall, plant-wide modernization and the purchase of machinery and equipment.

In terms of capacity, tuna (Thunnus spp.) is the core category at the Póvoa de Varzim plant, with daily output of 1 million cans; sardine daily output is 350,000 cans, and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) daily output is 100,000 cans. The sardine segment's physical output has grown 300% over the past three years, and the segment's revenue has doubled over the same period.

The workforce will expand in step with the plant expansion. On top of the existing 940 employees, 140 additional operators will be added, bringing the total registered workforce to more than 1,080. Performance guidance given by A Poveira CEO and shareholder António Cunha shows the company expects revenue of €200 million (US$216 million) for the current fiscal year, equivalent to 20% to 25% of the consolidated sales of its Galician parent group.

In terms of market structure, 80% of A Poveira's finished production is exported, mainly to the United States and Northern European markets; shipments to the Portuguese domestic market grew 20% year on year.

Grupo Frinsa is a private-label supplier to European retailers including Lidl, Carrefour and DIA, and also owns its own brands such as Minerva, Ribeira, Seaside and The Nice Fisherman. Through the group's branch network in Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Reggio Emilia, Bucharest, Kraków, Cape Town and Singapore, A Poveira gains support in raw material procurement synergies, scale efficiencies and access to international markets.