Land O’Frost, one of the nation’s best-selling brands of pre-sliced deli meats and a producer of specialty sausage products, announced that it has purchased Swedesboro, N.J.-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.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Advising Land O’Frost on the transaction was Bulkley Capital LP.

Source: Land O’Frost