Plukon Food Group and Staay Food Group announced today that they have signed an agreement in principle for Plukon’s acquisition of 51% of the shares in Fresh Care Convenience B.V. (FCC), based in Dronten, the Netherlands.
While Plukon is known primarily as a major player in the European poultry market, for the past 10 years it has also operated a production facility specialising in fresh meals in Wezep in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The new partnership with FCC is in line with Plukon’s objective of investing substantially in expertise in vegetable supply chains and vegetable processing.
The two companies will be further pooling their resources for the purpose of sourcing ingredients and managing existing logistics channels and available production capacity. In addition, the new partners will be able to improve quality assurance levels for vegetables, along with vegetable processing techniques.
The two companies are highly complementary in terms of the product/market grid: whereas Fresh Care Convenience – which specialises in fresh-cut vegetables, vegetable mixes and full-meal salads – has a strong position in the German retail market, Plukon works closely with a major Dutch retailer for convenience meal solutions such as steamed meals, stir-fry dishes and full-meal salads.
After the fire that erupted at Plukon’s Wezep production facility in March 2017, Staay Food Group helped Plukon to continue supplying to its customers, which further strengthened the already solid relationship between the two companies. Both companies are marked by positive drive and a strong business sense, and this will also serve as the basis for further defining their partnership, with the intention being for Plukon to eventually (within a 3-year period) acquire the remaining 49% of the shares.
The transaction will be submitted for approval to the appropriate competition authorities and for advice to Plukon’s Central Works Council.A leading European supplier of innovative chicken and meal products, Plukon Food Group has five production sites in the Netherlands, three in Belgium, five in Germany, one in Poland and four in France and employs more than 5,500 people. The Group reports annual revenue of EUR 1.8 billion.
Fresh Care Convenience is a leader in the production and processing of fresh fruit and vegetables into mixes, meal components and full-meal salads. Its main markets are Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.
The company’s production facility in Dronten employs a total of around 400 people and reports revenue of roughly EUR 78 million. FCC is a subsidiary of Staay Food Group, the international sales and marketing organisation for fresh fruit and vegetables, which are grown and processed by the company itself.
For more information:
Staay Food Group
Mark Loojenga
Tel: +31 (0)6 1380 8981 
Email: [email protected]
www.staayfoodgroup.com
Plukon Food Group b.v.
Gerda Zijlstra
Tel: +31 (0)38 376 6637
Email: [email protected]
www.plukon.com