Cargill enters Polish protein market with poultry acquisition
According to the deal, first announced in September last year, Cargill Global Poultry will integrate Konspol’s Polish assets into its European business, including Konspol’s branded and private label goods in chilled convenience, frozen and cold cut categories.
The acquisition also comprises one feed mill, five broiler farms, and two processing plants, which Cargill said increases its production and export capacity across Europe.
“The acquisition is an excellent fit with Cargill’s Global Poultry business and brings together two organisations with strong talent, broad customer bases and robust innovation capabilities,” a Cargill spokesperson told FoodNavigator.
“We are eager to expand Konspol’s proven innovation pipeline and the company’s winning production process.
“By growing our capabilities, we will be able to better meet our customer’s needs and deliver more value to customers and consumers across Europe.”
Approximately 1,700 Konspol employees will transfer to Cargill, taking the multinational’s staff numbers in Poland up to 3,400.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cargill’s protein boost
While Cargill has had a presence in Poland for more than 25 years, this is the first Cargill Protein Europe acquisition in the market, the spokesperson told FoodNavigator.
“Cargill has a long history in the poultry business and will now have poultry operations in 14 countries.”
Cargill’s commitment to grow and develop its poultry business was also recently demonstrated by its acquisition of Colombian brand Campollo, announced in November last year, and a $70m (€61m) investment in its protein headquarters in Wichita, US.
This news follows on from a restructuring in 2017, which saw Cargill and Faccenda Foods – ranked as the third and fourth-largest poultry processors in the UK – announce plans to launch a standalone, joint venture in the UK under the brand name Avara Foods.
