200 kilometers inland, without a sea port, on the plateau… There, where his roots sink, he decided to once again cast the nets of his business, Conrado Merino, at the head of which in less than a year has become a leading company in the world in seafood products, with the octopus as the star of your catalogue. It is Merpacifico, the company with which this businessman continues ‘swimming’ in business, between fish, shellfish and cephalopods.

Not in vain, the sector already knew him, because in the 80s of the 20th century he took over the old family business, a fishmonger in a stall in the Plaza de Abastos in Palencia. Little by little it grew: it began to distribute live seafood to restaurants in the area and in 1991 it founded another company (Viveros Merimar), dedicated to the wholesale trade of fish and seafood and which in 2005 began the production and marketing of cooked octopus. Although in 2020 he gave up his participation in the company, Conrado Merino was still hooked on the world of the sea, so he cast the bait baited with his knowledge and in less than a year he has shown that he moves like a fish in water in the sector, since it has managed to position Merpacífico in the international market.

Italy, France and Germany are among the destinations for their octopuses – raw, cooked or on a tray -, which also reach more distant parts of the globe such as Japan, China, Australia, Canada or the United States. Not in vain, exports account for 70 percent of its sales, although the objective is to balance the balance between exports and sales in the national market.

In just six months of its first year of operation, its turnover was close to 20 million euros and its forecast is that it will reach between 80 and 100 million in the next five years. Doing so by making the most of the capacity of its fully automated facilities after an investment of 17 million euros, in more than 10,000 square meters and with a “large capacity” of cold storage – up to 3,000 pallets at -28 degrees Celsius -, located in the industrial estate of San Antolín, in Palencia capital.

“Strategic location”

Precisely that “strategic location”, in the northern corridor, between Madrid and Santander, is among the reasons that made Conrado Merino stake his land again to launch what is already a leading project in seafood.

With 60 workers, Merpacífico hopes to reach 150 this year and triple the workforce in less than five. With “quality” as a premise, based in Palencia, it is capable of distributing thousands of tons of seafood products operated directly from the main fishing grounds. Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and also Huelva are among the places where they cast their nets.

Merpacífico does not live on octopus alone. Squid, cuttlefish, sole, mongo or lobster are also in the sea catalog from inland.

Merpacífico is a new octopus processing company, located in the Industrial Estate of Palencia that is experiencing rapid growth motivated by the experience of more than 30 years and the professional successes of its founder, Conrado Merino, who in 1991 also founded Viveros Merimar, dedicated to the wholesale trade of fish and seafood.

Merpacífico closed 2023 with a turnover close to 20 million euros in just 6 months and is a modern, 100% automated company, which has the most innovative technologies, facilities that exceed 10,000 square meters with a large storage capacity in cold.