Food distributor Baldor Specialty Foods is acquiring meat company Golden Packing. Baldor will take over the Hunts Point Cooperative Market business under a new name, Golden Meat Co. This venture enables Baldor to offer an increased selection of center-of-plate proteins to its customer base.

Acquiring Golden Packing will allow Baldor to vertically integrate meat processing by combining its sourcing with expert butchering while maintaining the brand’s reputation for service and strength in logistics. This integration will expand Baldor’s selection of portioned meats, offering its chef customers both labor savings and consolidation on product deliveries.

“For decades, our customers have trusted us for high-quality fresh food. Adding meat processing has been a part of our plan since we sold our first piece of protein,” says TJ Murphy, owner and CEO of Baldor Specialty Foods. “With veteran meat guru Mark Pastore on the team, I knew it was the right time to move forward in the search for a partner. With Baldor’s sourcing, procurement, and delivery capabilities paired with Golden’s cutting and dry aging expertise, we will be scaling a cut shop that meets our customers’ growing needs around meat and bringing wheels to the great business Golden has already created.”

To support its growing protein category, Baldor is strengthening its team with new hires. Mark Pastore, who has more than three decades in the meat industry building programs for foodservice and retail including as president of Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, joins as vice president of business development, leading protein sales expansion and increasing Golden Meat Co.'s visibility on the East Coast. Kevin Lindgren, previously director of protein merchandising at Baldor, will now serve as director of Golden Meat Co., focusing on operations and integration. Baldor is also bringing on John Winters DiMarco as protein business development manager, and Daniel Nguyen as senior protein supply planner.

“I’ve always loved Baldor’s focus on high-end products and service, and I was eager to build a meat brand here at that same level, with a premium portioned-steak program,” said Pastore. “TJ and I immediately clicked, and when we walked into Golden for the first time, and saw their precision and service, we knew they were the right partners for us.”

Golden Packing’s legacy began in the 1920s on Little West 12th Street in Manhattan—an area today known as the Meatpacking District. That business gained a second life in 2020, thanks to David Bernstein, a great-grandson of the original owner, and his co-founder Jerry Zwernemann. Bernstein and Zwernemann together have more than 60 years combined in the meat industry. Today, Golden has more than 150 customers, including many high-end steakhouses in NYC.

The founders of Golden Packing will stay on—as will their staff of 35, including butchers and drivers—to operate the business and build out the Baldor offerings.

"Even with how large Baldor is, it doesn't feel like we are partnering with a corporation—it feels like a family. We have found a like-minded organization that is as committed to their customers as we are," said Bernstein. "This is a great day for our business, and we are excited to see Golden's business accelerate as part of Baldor, with the opportunity to sell our meat up and down the Eastern Seaboard."

Golden Meat Co.’s sales will be processed through Baldor platforms with delivery through the company’s existing trucking operations. Baldor’s extended breadth of product offerings will be available to existing customers, and previous Golden Packing customers will now have access to all of Baldor products.

“Baldor’s investment in Golden was inspired by our customers, hearing about the challenges caused by labor shortages and the difficulties getting high-quality center-of-plate ingredients,” said Benjamin Walker, Baldor Specialty Foods chief revenue officer. “It’s our goal to make our customers lives easier. And that means being able to deliver everything they need to succeed—from produce to dairy to grocery to the best meat in the world, sourced from premium Baldor partners, like DemKota, Joyce Farms and Niman Ranch—all on a single delivery. This is a big unlock for us and our customers. We can’t wait to see meat on every order.”

Golden Meat Co. product offerings will include a full line of meats both dry aged and fresh, prime and high choice, all custom cut and portioned. In line with Baldor’s philosophy of sourcing, Golden will continue to expand its vendor partnerships with a focus on connecting customers with products from farms that prioritize flavor and humane raising of animals.

Golden Meat Co. has officially joined Baldor’s inventory lineup of over 6,000 items across produce, grocery, meat, poultry and fish.

Source: Baldor Specialty Foods