Last updated on April 5th, 2018
Land O’Frost, a brand of pre-sliced deli meats and a producer of specialty sausage products, has purchased Swedesboro, New Jersey-based Wellshire Farms Inc.
Wellshire is an established leader in the natural and organic meat space, says Land O’Frost. Its products are sold in specialty grocery retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Earth Fare and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage.
“Following this transaction, Land O’Frost immediately becomes a significant player in the fast growing natural/organic category,” the company added.
This transaction brings together two family-owned and operated companies in the meat industry. As part of the deal, Land O’Frost will acquire all of Wellshire’s assets, including its entire brand portfolio which features the Wellshire, Wellshire Organic, Wellshire Kids, Garrett Valley, Colameco’s, Colameco’s Primo Naturale, Lou’s Famous and Woodstown Farms and Homestyle Meals brands.
“This is an exciting time for both Wellshire and Land O’Frost. We’re bringing together two family-owned companies that are not only committed to producing quality products but also have a rich and long-standing heritage in the meat industry,” said David Van Eekeren, president and CEO of Land O’Frost. “We’ve admired Wellshire for quite some time, and we’re impressed with their leadership in the natural/organic space and established relationships with leading retailers. We look forward to welcoming Wellshire to the Land O’Frost family and entering the natural/organic space in such a considerable fashion.”
This acquisition supports Land O’Frost’s strategic growth plans, says the company, which is looking to enter new categories that complement its existing portfolio. With the addition of Wellshire, Land O’Frost’s product portfolio now features an offering of recognized natural and organic brands that include breakfast meats, deli meats, hams, hot dogs, snacking and specialty meats.
“Joining the Land O’ Frost family represents an important and strategic milestone for Wellshire Farms,” said Lou Colameco, president and CEO of Wellshire Farms. “The opportunity to combine forces with another family-owned and -operated company as strong as Land O’Frost will provide us with the ability to further grow our brands, expand our distribution and provide new growth opportunities for our employees. In addition, we believe the combined company will also be able to reach more retail outlets and customers that value our high-quality products.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Munster, Indiana, Land O’Frost operates three manufacturing facilities in Lansing, Illinois, Madisonville, Kentucky and Searcy, Arkansas. Its products can be found in supermarkets and mass merchandisers nationwide.
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