Linden Food Group and ABP announce Slaney Foods partnership

Subject to approval by regulatory and competition authorities, the proposed partnership will include investment in the Slaney Foods International beef arm and Irish Country Meats, its sheepmeat division. The partnership is not expected to impact on the day-to-day operations of either division.

As part of the deal, current co-owners of Slaney Foods, the Allen family is to retire from the sector after over 50 years in the business.

Opportunities​

Trevor Lockhart, chairman of Linden Foods, said: "The Linden Food Group, like ABP, has over many years developed successful national, European and world market/customer positions, focussed on the retail and food service sectors. Exciting new opportunities are continuing to emerge across the globe and the challenge for us is to create the business models, with internationally competitive scale, capable of securing the best markets and commanding the highest return for our products. Our objective, extending back to our co-operative roots, is to maximise the value of our quality beef and lamb and to deliver competitive and sustainable returns to our farmer suppliers.​

"The Allen Family have been exceptional partners for the past 15 years during which time the company has invested heavily to create some of the best processing assets in the country. The continuation of this partnership approach will enable both Slaney Foods and ABP to better service our existing and potentially new customers whilst leading the way on process efficiencies, product quality, innovation and overall supply chain sustainability. The existing operational and management structure of the business will remain in place but now complimented with a shareholder with considerable market reach and processing expertise".​

Partnership​

Paul Finnerty, CEO of ABP Food Group, added: "We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement in principle with Linden Foods to partner them in the Slaney Foods business in the Republic of Ireland. At ABP we have a very successful track record with Joint Venture projects over many years and we have high hopes for this new partnership with Slaney Foods. The respective companies share the same ambition to grow and develop in what continues to be a very competitive market environment. This is a partnership that will benefit both parties and improve the range of products we offer in existing and new export markets."​