Brazilian meat giant JBS is to acquire US meat packing business Empire Packing Co. and its Ledbetter meat brand for US$238m.
In an announcement to the Brazilian Stock Exchange, JBS said the deal, through its subsidiary JBS USA, will see it acquiring Empire’s case-ready production facilities as well as Ledbetter’s branded retail products.
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The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory review and government approvals, includes five production facilities located in Cincinnati (Ohio), Denver (Colorado), Mason (Ohio), Memphis (Tennessee) and Olympia (Washington).
Andre Nogueira, CEO for JBS USA, said: “Today’s announcement highlights our ongoing commitment to diversifying our product offerings. Empire is a long-standing, respected family-owned company with strong leadership and quality assets in strategic locations across the US that fit well in our business model.”
Mason-based Empire says on its website that it provides “case-ready meat solutions” for beef, grinds, pork and chicken.
Its Ledbetter Foods arm, based in Memphis, dates back to 1959. Its branded products are sold throughout the US and include meat cuts such as ribeye steaks, ham shanks, pork fillets and turkey wings.
At the end of January, JBS signed a major distribution deal with Chinese peer WH Group worth BRL3bn ($713.1m) a year.
