Cargill, one of the largest producers of ground beef products in the world, is expanding its beef business with the purchase of a new facility in Columbia, South Carolina.
The 100,000-square-foot ground beef processing plant was previously owned by FPL Food, LLC, a privately-owned processor of fresh beef and ground beef products in the Southeast. The facility currently employs more than 200 people. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cargill says that the expansion will strengthen its ability to service retail and foodservice customers in the eastern region due to its proximity to the company’s other meat processing facilities in Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to a press release.
“Forecasts tell us global beef demand continues to increase significantly, and U.S. demand is solid. Given the needs of our customers, purchasing this facility in South Carolina will help us expand our capabilities, including better utilization of the beef we generate at our other plants,” said John Keating, President of Cargill Beef. “Synergies make this acquisition very attractive to our beef business.”
FPL Food Founder Francois Paul Léger couldn’t agree more, saying in a press release that the sale allows his company to focus on its core business of raising and harvesting cattle.
The deal is expected to close around the end of March.
