Smithfield expands French meat presence

Feedstuffs, June, 2004 by Rod Smith

Smithfield Foods Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire French meat processor Jean Caby and merge the company with its existing French business, SBS, under the Jean Caby name, according to an announcement.

Smithfield said it will buy the company for 380 million [euro] ($466 million, U.S.) and expects to complete the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory clearance, by the end of July.

Jean Caby was established in 1919 and makes and markets cooked processed meats, including cooked deli hams, sausages, cocktail sausages and frankfurters. The company's Jean Caby-brand sales increased 16% in 2003 and overall sales increased 5% to 130 million [euro] ($159 million), the announcement said.

The acquisition would provide Smithfield with brand...