US-based Columbus Foods has announced a new partnership with Harris Ranch Beef Company, as part of the plans to expand its deli meat production capabilities.
The development follows Columbus' $28m investment in its Bayfront facility last month, to increase manufacturing capacity for its slow-cured salame.
Under the new partnership, the two companies have invested more than $10m to ensure the implementation of a deli meat processing facility to support the venture.
Initially, the current layout has been built for a volume production of 25 million pounds of deli meat cooking and processing, with a capacity to expand to another 50 million pounds.
Harris Ranch Beef Company chairman and CEO David Wood said, "This is a good fit for both of our companies - and the synergies between Harris Ranch and Columbus will ensure a seamless production transition."
Columbus Foods CEO and president Timothy Fallon said the company's deli cooking facility in South San Francisco is landlocked and necessitated it finds a solution to provide for capacity expansion on branded deli meat growth.
"By partnering with Harris Ranch we're well-positioned to continue to provide the quality and taste that consumers and our retail customers expect from Columbus and meet continued growth in the coming years," Fallon noted.
