October 12, 2011

Irish meat processors expand in British market

ABP and Dawn Meats Group made major acquisition in the last two weeks as Irish meat processors expand in the British market.

Larry Goodman's expansion of his ABP meat processing empire in Britain continues apace, with the purchase of Somerset-based RWM Food Group announced on Friday (Oct 7).

The sale, which is estimated to be valued at GBP30 million (US$46.7 million), includes beef and lamb processing facilities at Langport, Somerset and Yetminster, Dorset respectively, and a retail packing operation at the Dorset site.

RWM Food Group was originally founded in 1968 by two butchers, Robin Heffer and Geoff Knight, and has grown to include five companies, with combined sales of GBP204.7 million (US$318.6 million) in 2009.

The move puts Goodman at the head of one of the biggest British beef farming operations, Blade Farming SW, which produces 16,000 cattle annually.

Blade Farming is a franchise business for farmers, set up to supply another RWM company, Southern Counties Fresh Foods, with beef.

Tom Kirwan, managing director of ABP UK, said the purchase of RWM was an important milestone in the development of ABP UK, augmenting its beef supply in the cattle-rich southwest region of England.

He added that it also gave ABP UK a platform in lamb, to further develop its existing lamb processing activity in Northern Ireland.

This latest Goodman acquisition follows hot on the heels of Dawn Meats' purchase of the Duerden Lindal Moor beef abattoir in Ulverston, Cumbria.

Dawn Meats Group chief executive Niall Browne said the purchase marked the beginning of a new expansion phase for Dawn Meats, which is already one of EU's largest suppliers of beef, lamb and pork.