July 23, 2013
Hendrix Genetics and Maisadour merge broiler and guinea fowl operations and renamed Caringa Sud-Ouest S.A.
Dutch multi-species breeding company, Hendrix Genetics and Groupe Coopératif Maïsadour have agreed to merge their respective broiler and guinea fowl multiplication and hatching activities in the South-west of France effective August 1, with operations in Isle Jourdain, Arrue and Sarbazan.
The merged activities will be conducted in the actual legal entity "Société Landaise d'Aviculture S.A." that will be renamed "Caringa Sud-Ouest S.A.". This company will be majority controlled and managed within the Traditional Poultry Breeding division of Hendrix Genetics named "Caringa" under leadership of General Manager Mathieu Lemarié.
The former joint-venture that existed between Maïsadour and Boyé (Terrena) in "Accouvage Landais S.A." will be absorbed and merged into Caringa Sud-Ouest. The dedicated logistic activities in the region will be fully absorbed by ALS, the logistics company of Hendrix Genetics in France.
Jean-Louis Zwick, director of the distribution activity in Groupe Maïsadour, comments, "This merger is the product of negotiations that started more than a year ago. It fits our strategy to create vertical aligned value chains but with specialised partners for the parts in which we have not our main focus. With a blocking minority in Caringa Sud-Ouest we have safeguarded our strategic connection and assured good continuation of these activities in our area of operation while we can benefit from the economies of scale and expertise that Hendrix Genetics and Caringa bring in this field. We have got comfortable, as leading cooperative in the South-West of France, to bundle our forces with the pragmatic and business-oriented, privately-owned, international Hendrix Genetics and have found in Caringa the dedication and professionalism that this business needs to be successful".
Mathieu Lemarié, general manager of Caringa, adds: "We announced end of last year that we would transform our broiler distribution activities, at that time called "Grelier Poussins Accouveur sas", to a new 5th division in Hendrix Genetics, called Caringa. This division focuses on specialised breeding & distribution for traditional poultry (traditional layers, label and certified broilers, coloured turkeys and guinea fowls) and heavy broilers (Cobb). This step with Maïsadour is an exciting development for our company as it means a significant strengthening of our position in traditional poultry in France. It will create economies of scale and market leadership in the South-West of France that forms a strong base for the local market as well as for exports to Italy, Spain and Portugal. We have the right team and strategy to make Caringa Sud-Ouest successful for all stakeholders involved".
French agri-foods cooperative Maïsadour owns close to 160 production sites (silos, slaughter houses, feed mills, seeds factories) mostly located in the south-west of France, the Group's historical cradle. The group also has an international dimension with sites and subsidiaries abroad (Ukraine, Spain, Germany and Morocco). The group, with a turnover of €1.5 billion (US$1.99 billion), is organised around two major activities: an upstream division for production of agricultural raw materials, seeds, agro-supplies, cereals, vegetables, feed and animal production; and a downstream division including poultry with Fermiers du Sud-Ouest.
