July 10, 2014

JBS Australia buys majority share in Andrews Meat

Meat processor, JBS Australia, has acquired a majority share in the New South Wales-based Andrews Meat.

The move is expected to help expand retail opportunities for JBS and supply for Andrews meat.

JBS Australia produces lamb and high quality grass and grain-fed beef. The company has 10 processing facilities and five feedlots along the eastern seaboard, from Townsville in North Queensland to Devonport in Tasmania and across to Bordertown in South Australia, with a daily processing capacity of more than 8,000 cattle and 21,000 small stock.

Andrews Meat is a 54-year-old family-owned company with production and distribution facilities in Lidcombe and Dulwich Hill in Sydney. Andrews specialises in high quality portion cutting and further processing of meats for domestic and international restaurant and foodservice customers and also produces ready-cooked meals, under the company-owned brand of Creative Food Solutions.

"The partnership with Andrews Meat is a natural fit, and expands JBS Australia into the high growth retail and value-adding segments", said JBS Australia's chief executive officer, Brent Eastwood.

Eastwood said that with Andrews' customer penetration in the prepared foods and high value-added category, JBS Australia will be in a strong position to expand its range of branded product into higher value market segments.

"This is an exciting time for our business and the relationship with JBS will enable Andrews Meat to expand its quality customer offering both domestically and internationally", said Andrews Meat's CEO, Peter Andrews Jr.

"JBS have the diverse product supply and processing platforms across Australia to supply and expand the range of red meat product to meet the opportunities we see with our growing base of high-end Australian and international customers."