Group of Butchers joins Equistone family
Founded in the Netherlands in 1997, the meat producer will join Equistone for an undisclosed sum.
The firm focuses on producing and distributing high-quality meat products to the retail sector and delivered to the out-of-home market.
Group of Butchers unites several local production sites – each with a different speciality – to produce a diverse product portfolio that ranges from cured beef to smoked sausages and filet américain to roasted and grilled meats.
Management team retained
“On behalf of the entire firm I would like to express my gratitude to Nordian Capital Partners for supporting our growth since 2012,” said Nick Visser, joint chief executive of Group of Butchers. “They shared our vision for the company and accompanied us on our work to become a leading supplier of the very highest-quality processed meat products.”
The company employs 350 workers across six production facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, with sales generating €125 million after acquiring five companies in the last three years to strengthen its market positioning. The founders of Group of Butchers and current management team will continue to manage the company and remain committed co-shareholders alongside Equistone.
“We are looking forward to the partnership with Equistone, an experienced mid-market investor with longstanding expertise in the meat processing industry,” commented Wilbert Wolfs, Group of Butchers’ joint chief executive, alongside Visser. “Together we will take further steps to provide an even broader range of customers with our high-quality specialities.”
Impressive development
Dr Marc Arens, partner at Equistone, led the transaction alongside Maximilian Göppert, investment manager with Equistone. Equistone was advised by PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, HuZ, Alantra and A&O.
“Group of Butchers has developed impressively, establishing itself as a leading Dutch supplier of high-quality fresh meat products,” explained Arens. “This represents an excellent platform for further growth. Together with the company’s management team, we plan to expand organically and drive consolidation in other geographies through strategic acquisitions.”
Ronald van der Heide, partner at Nordian Capital, said he was proud of the growth experienced by Group of Butchers over the past four years. “We thank Nick Visser, Wilbert Wolfs and their management team for their leadership and commitment and wish them all the best for the future,” he said. “We are sure that Equistone will be a solid shareholder supporting Group of Butchers in its next growth phase.”
