Sofina Europe, owner of Young’s Seafood and the Karro Food Group, has appointed Einar Olgeirsson as its new head of group packaging development. The resident of Grimsby, England, started with Young’s Seafood 18 years ago in a temporary administrative support role at Ross House, eventually becoming an assistant packaging technologist and working his way up through the company.
His new role will be to lead in the development of new and innovative packaging, with an emphasis on promoting and progressing Sofina Europe’s sustainability measures through waste reduction across all Sofina sites in the United Kingdom.
Commenting on his appointment, Olgeirsson stated: “At Sofina Europe, we strongly believe that a focus on sustainability and transparency in our approach is vital if we are to continue our position as leaders of sustainability in the food manufacturing industry.”
Having removed 170 metric tons of paper packaging and 200 metric tons of plastic packaging from the waste stream in 2020, the company’s focus has turned to ensuring that 100% of its packaging is recyclable by 2025. As of now, 90% of Young’s branded packaging is recyclable.
“Moving forwards, Einar will be instrumental in helping us to meet our upcoming sustainability goals. His expertise and commitment in this area make him a great fit for the role and in leading the drive to hit our targets,” said Paul Craft, chief commercial officer of Sofina Europe.
Sofina Europe is a leading supplier of both branded and private label seafood and pork. The pork division is a leading processor and supplier of pork products throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The seafood division is a provider of frozen and products in the UK, including the iconic 200-year-old Young’s brand, and is a major force in frozen seafood across Germany and France.
A member of Sofina Foods Inc., the privately owned Canadian company headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Sofina Europe employs around 6,700 people across 23 manufacturing locations.
