Bangkok-headquartered Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc. (CPF) is acquiring 33% of the Karczew, Poland-headquartered SuperDrob Capital Group for EUR 49.5 million ($51.6 million). The deal is expected be completed within three months, pending approval by Polish authorities.
SuperDrob is a family-run company that specializes in producing and distributing value-added poultry products ranging from chicken and turkey fillets, steaks and ready meals to sausages and classic mortadella. Approximately half of the output is exported to Great Britain, France, Germany and other EU countries, as well as to China. In business for 23 years, the company operates two main processing plants Karczew and Łódź, has six subsidiaries, and employs over 2,000 people.
Among SuperDrob’s many value-added frozen retail products is Aromatic Chicken SuperSteak with garlic and herbal filling. Two 100-gram fillets come per package.Commenting on the investment, SuperDrob Vice President Jarosław Kowalewski said: “The cooperation between SuperDrob and CPF is a great opportunity for our company. We can increase production capacities, thanks to which we will be able to offer a new generation of products in a wider market. We will extend the range and integrate production and logistics processes. We believe that as a result of these changes, our products will become attractive for a wider group of consumers. We also hope to actively participate in the consolidation of the meat and feed market in Poland.”
Adirek Sripratak, president and chief operating officer of Charoen Pokphand Foods, remarked that this marks the first step for CPF in poultry operations in Poland, which is a leading exporter of poultry into the European market.
“The country has a vast resources and potential with low cost of production,” said Adirek. “This will also help us respond better to the regional consumer base at a faster pace, as well as provide the opportunity to expand into other businesses in Poland, and connect with CPF’s current network in Asia and Europe in order to create more value in the future.”
Charoen Pokphand Foods, an agribusiness giant that ranks as largest food conglomerate in Thailand, is engaged in operations that range from poultry, duck and pork production to shrimp and fish aquaculture. Recently it has focused on overseas investments, having completed a $1.075 billion purchase of frozen entree manufacturer Bellisio Foods Inc. in the United States during December. Before that it acquired a ready-to-eat meal supplier in Belgium and a restaurant chain in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it launched a microwaveable burger brand in the Britain.
