Acquisition Provides Entry to Natural/Organic Market and Supports Land O’Frost’s Ongoing Growth Plans
MUNSTER, IN — Land O’Frost, one of the nation’s best-selling brands of pre-sliced deli meats and a producer of specialty sausage products, announced on April 3 that it has purchased Woolwich Township based Wellshire Farms, Inc.
Wellshire is an established and respected leader in the natural/organic meat space whose products are sold in specialty grocery retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Earth Fare and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Following this transaction, Land O’Frost immediately becomes a significant player in the fast growing natural/organic category.
This transaction brings together two of the leading family-owned and operated companies in the meat industry. As part of the deal, Land O’Frost will acquire all of Wellshire’s assets, including its entire brand portfolio, which features the Wellshire, Wellshire Organic, Wellshire Kids, Garrett Valley, Colameco’s, Colameco’s Primo Naturale, Lou’s Famous and Woodstown Farms and Homestyle Meals brands.
“This is an exciting time for both Wellshire and Land O’Frost. We’re bringing together two family-owned companies that are not only committed to producing quality products but also have a rich and longstanding heritage in the meat industry,” said David Van Eekeren, President and CEO of Land O’Frost.
“We’ve admired Wellshire for quite some time, and we’re impressed with their leadership in the natural/organic space and established relationships with leading retailers. We look forward to welcoming Wellshire to the Land O’Frost family and entering the natural/organic space in such a considerable fashion.”
This acquisition directly supports Land O’Frost’s strategic growth plans. As one of the fastest growing brands in the industry, the company is always looking to enter new categories that complement its existing portfolio. With the addition of Wellshire, Land O’Frost’s product portfolio now features a vast offering of recognized natural/organic brands that include breakfast meats, deli meats, hams, hot dogs, snacking and specialty meats.
“Joining the Land O’ Frost family represents an important and strategic milestone for Wellshire Farms,” said Lou Colameco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellshire Farms. “The opportunity to combine forces with another family-owned and operated company as strong as Land O’Frost will provide us with the ability to further grow our brands, expand our distribution and provide new growth opportunities for our employees. In addition, we believe the combined company will also be able to reach more retail outlets and customers that value our high quality products.”
Founded in 1958, Land O’Frost is a leading manufacturer of pre-sliced meats and specialty hot dogs and sausages. The company is the largest family-owned brand of packaged deli meat in the U.S. Leading brands marketed by Land O’Frost include: Land O’Frost Premium® One Pound, the top-selling deli pouch in the U.S.; DeliShaved® and Bistro Favorites™. Land O’Frost products can be found in supermarkets and mass merchandisers nationwide. Headquartered in Munster, Ind., the company operates three manufacturing facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky. and Searcy, Ark. For more information, please visit www.landofrost.com.
Wellshire Farms, Inc. is a top supplier of all-natural beef, pork and poultry products. The company produces a variety of sausage, bacon, deli and dried meat, ham, hot dogs and snacks that are minimally-processed and free of nitrates, nitrites and preservatives. Brands operated by Wellshire Farms include: Wellshire®, Wellshire Organic™, Wellshire Kids®, Garrett Valley®, Colameco’s®, Lou’s Famous® and Homestyle Meals® brands. Wellshire Farms products can be found in Whole Foods locations across the U.S. and Canada, as well as other specialty grocery retailers. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Woolwich Township. Please visit www.wellshirefarms.com for more information.
