George’s Inc., a producer of poultry products and prepared foods, has agreed to acquire Ozark Mountain Poultry Inc., maker of antibiotic-free and non-GMO chicken products, to further diversify its portfolio.
George’s Inc., a producer of poultry products and prepared foods, has agreed to acquire Ozark Mountain Poultry Inc., maker of antibiotic-free and non-GMO chicken products, to further diversify its portfolio.
Ozark Mountain serves the retail and foodservice channels with its Forester Farmers Market brand. Its Arkansas facilities -- a poultry harvest plant in Batesville and a further processing plant in Rogers -- employ over 1,800 people.
The company processes more than 1.2 million chickens per week.“I have known Gary George and the George family for 35 years,” Ed Fryar, founder of Ozark Mountain, said in a press release. “He is a person for whom I have tremendous admiration and respect. I think the acquisition of OMP will equally benefit George’s and the team members of OMP because our cultures fit. Additionally, it will enhance our position in the marketplace.”
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
“The ability to provide today’s consumer with affordable antibiotic-free and non-GMO poultry products is very important to our overall strategy,” said Carl George, co-chief executive of George’s.
Founded in the 1920s, George’s is a fourth-generation family owned and operated poultry and prepared foods company based in Springdale, Ark. George’s employs more than 5,300 people and has vertically integrated poultry operations in Arkansas, Missouri, and Virginia and prepared foods operations in Arkansas and Tennessee. The company produces 22 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis.
Source: Meatingplace.com
Published: September 6, 2018
