Germany-based meat processor Tönnies has opened its first commercial office in the US as part of its “internationalisation” process.
Niels Villesen, the chief executive of Tönnies’ Danish subsidiary Tican, will become managing director for the US overseeing the office in Chicago.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Family-owned Tönnies said demand for pork in the US and Canada is “high”, while production costs are below those in Germany and Europe.
Frank Duffe, Tönnies international board member, said: “We are taking the next step to expand our international trade relations. As a recognised quality leader in pork, our products are in demand worldwide. With our own trading office, we can further develop relations in North America.”
Tönnies has 19 plants in Germany and a further ten overseas, including the UK, Poland, Denmark, France and Spain. In September, the company announced a new joint venture in China with the Dekon Group, a subsidiary of China’s West Hope Group, which will encompass the construction of a slaughterhouse and cutting facility to process pigs.
During the summer, it acquired UK-based C&K Meats, following on the heels of a deal for sausage maker Riverway Foods, also located in the UK.
