| VANDRIE GROUP TAKES OVER ALPURO GROUP |
| Alpuro Group - 18 2009 |
Strengthening of position in European veal market
Mijdrecht / Uddel – Integrated veal producer the VanDrie Group, based in Mijdrecht, is taking over the Uddel-based Alpuro Group. The Van Drie family and the management of the Alpuro Group have reached an agreement for the bid. The move means the Netherlands will maintain a strong position in the European veal market and continue to meet demand from international buyers.
The VanDrie Group and the Alpuro Group are trying to secure the necessary approvals for the agreement in principle as soon as possible, which includes approval from the competition authorities. In the meantime, it will be business as usual for the divisions of the Alpuro Group.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2010. The VanDrie Group does not anticipate the transaction to have any negative consequences for the employment of the Alpuro Group's workforce.
The VanDrie Group's annual turnover after the takeover will stand at around €1.9 billion.
The increasing scale of supermarkets and bulk buyers in the European market requires veal producers to make strategic plans for their future. Buying entities in the retail and food sectors are becoming increasingly concentrated. These powerful buyers require sizeable amounts of meat of a uniform type and quality, for a competitive price, and in line with the demands of customers in different countries.
With this takeover, the Dutch VanDrie Group will strengthen its position in the European market and maintain the necessary high levels of investment in food safety and animal welfare. The company is also serving the interests of everyone involved in the production, processing and sale of veal, including staff members, veal farmers, and wholesale suppliers. But European dairy farmers also benefit from the existence of strong integrated veal producers. These companies directly bolster the price of milk by buying newborn calves and raw dairy products.
Both the VanDrie Group and the Alpuro Group are originally family companies with a rich history and a similar business culture. They two companies were both established during the 1960s in the Veluwe region of the Netherlands. They operate a comprehensive chain management system, have independent quality systems, trade internationally and are dedicated to socially responsible enterprise. For the Alpuro Group, one of the ways this manifests itself is through the Peter's Farm brand, which operates under an animal welfare manifesto, while the VanDrie Group supplies veal under the Better Living (Beter Leven) seal of approval operated by the Dutch animal protection agency.
The two companies each manage the production of their own feed, buy young calves, support their associate veal farmers, maintain their own abattoirs and processing plants, and manage sales both domestically and overseas.
The VanDrie Group consists of 19 companies based in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium and Germany. It processes about 1.4 million calves annually, and its turnover is around €1.6 billion. It employs around 1,700 people, while around 1,000 independent veal farmers look after the calves owned by the VanDrie Group.
The Alpuro Group has branches in the Netherlands and Italy. It employs 280 staff, and processes around 265,000 calves annually. The company works with 200 associated veal farmers on a contract basis. Its annual turnover is around €240 million.
Mijdrecht / Uddel, 18 November 2009. |
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