UK’s Lamex swoops for Dutch meat business Liberty Holdings

Dutch meat and poultry business Liberty Holdings BV has been acquired by UK company Lamex Food Group for an undisclosed sum.

Herts-based Lamex Food Group claims to be one of world’s largest frozen food importers and exporters, while Liberty Holdings BV is the parent company of pork and poultry business Kappers Foods.

Lamex Food Group is already a strong player in the meat and poultry import-export market, supplying some of the biggest names in the food industry on a global basis,” Mark Ryder, a director of Lamex Food Group told this site. “Kappers Foods has long been active in global markets similar to ours and this acquisition enables Lamex Food Group to further strengthen and broaden the scope of its activity in this sector.

The company said in a statement that the takeover would help Lamex Food Group “solidify its position” in what is a booming global market for imported poultry. The business added the deal would also “add depth” to the volume of its goods and areas of operation.

Companies will operate independently

As well as acquiring Kappers Foods, Lamex’s acquisition of Liberty Holdings will see it take over a string of other companies operating in the Netherlands under the holding company.

Both Lamex Food Group and Liberty Holdings BV will continue to operate as independent companies for the foreseeable future.

Founded in 1966, Lamex Food Group is headquartered in the UK and runs 18 overseas offices, including three in China, two in the US and Spain, alongside sites in countries including Brazil, Poland and Thailand. Sales in the year up to 31 March 2016 came to $1.1bn.

Cuijk-based business Kappers Foods was established in 1978 and operates mainly in the pork and poultry market. The company employs 37 staff and its end-of-year sales up to 31 December 2015 were $255m.