Faccenda and Cargill in joint venture with 6,000 staff

Cargill’s UK fresh chicken business will join Faccenda’s chicken, turkey and duck business to create the new company. It will be a standalone company, with both Faccenda and Cargill owning an equal share.

Combining the poultry businesses will offer greater opportunities for innovation, and will operate across multiple sites.

The new business’s name will be revealed after the deal is cleared by the relevant regulatory authorities. Faccenda Foods’s md Andy Dawkins will be appointed as ceo and Cargill Meats Europe’s fresh chicken director Chris Hall will be made chief commercial officer.

‘Providing stability’​

Faccenda Investments ceo Ian Faccenda said: “The new joint venture confirms our long-term commitment to being a responsible partner across the entire supply chain, providing stability and security to our customers, suppliers and growers for years to come.​

“This is an exciting time. We are bringing together talented people from both businesses with complementary values and expertise, and giving them the opportunity to develop and be successful in a new business with the capability to grow.”​

Cargill will continue to process and sell cooked poultry products in Wolverhampton, it confirmed. Its European poultry businesses will also continue to operate.

‘Grow in the market’​

President of Cargill Poultry Chris Langholz said: “We believe the two organisations are complementary. Combining into one entity allows us to build on our strengths, grow in the market and better serve our customers.​

“The venture will facilitate greater opportunities to innovate and deliver new and exciting poultry products for consumers.”​

Meanwhile, earlier this year, meat processors Dunbia and Dawn Meats​ entered into a joint venture, combining the operations of both organisations. The deal saw the new business trading as Dunbia.