2 Sisters Food, a UK-based chicken meat processing company, has entered into an agreement to acquire Dutch food firm Vion's red meat and poultry activities for an undisclosed sum.
Under the terms of the deal, 2 Sisters Food will acquire 11 processing facilities, including those in Coupar Angus, Cambuslang and Portlethen.
2 Sisters Food stated that the acquisition will help the company shorten the supply chain for consumers and cater to the growing demand for British sourced food.
2 Sisters Food chief executive Ranjit Singh said that while Vion has faced significant uncertainty and tough trading in recent months, this acquisition secures a viable future.
"Our immediate focus will be to improve performance, as we have successfully done with our previous acquisitions," Singh added.
Vion's decision to sell the business follows its announcement on 19 November 2012 that the company was selling its UK food operations in order to focus on its core food operations in the Netherlands and Germany, and strengthen its global ingredients business.
As part of this plan, in January this year, the Dutch firm completed the management buy-out of its UK pork business, a move that secured about 4,000 jobs.
Vion's red meat business offers beef and lamb under three brands - McIntosh Donald in Scotland, Welsh Country Foods in North Wales, and St Merryn Foods in South Wales and the West Country. The company's poultry business owns hatcheries, feed mills packing and processing facilities and offers fresh chicken products.
2 Sisters Food supplies poultry, fish, chilled, bakery and frozen products to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors.
