In September 2025, private equity firm Industrial Opportunity Partners acquired Charcuterie Artisans, parent company of Creminelli Fine Meats, Daniele and Del Duca, a move designed to accelerate growth in one of the fastest-growing segments of the specialty meat industry.

To support the company's acquisition and growth plans, Charcuterie Artisans brought on Jeff Tripician as president and chief executive officer and John Brock as executive vice president of sales and marketing.

In January 2026, Charcuterie Artisans acquired La Quercia Cured Meats, a producer of artisan cured meats. The acquisition includes La Quercia’s Norwalk, Iowa, production facility and its full portfolio of award-winning products. Charcuterie Artisans is planning a strategic modernization of the Norwalk facility, expanding its capacity by 50% and dedicating the facility exclusively to prosciutto production.

With the La Quercia acquisition, Charcuterie Artisans is now the largest manufacturer of charcuterie products in the US.

Following the acquisition, Charcuterie Artisans opened an Innovation Center on its Rhode Island campus.

An investment of over $12 million in 2026 is set to enhance production capabilities and output efficiencies. The company’s more than 660,000 square feet of manufacturing space will be capable of 54 million pounds of production by the end of 2026 with branded and private-label solutions for all classes of trade.

The National Provisioner sat down with Brock to explore what inspired the La Quercia acquisition, the new Innovation Center on the Rhode Island campus and the company's plans to leverage La Quercia's expertise.

John Brock, Charcuterie Artisans executive vice president of sales and marketing. Courtesy of Charcuterie Artisans

What initially drew Charcuterie Artisans to La Quercia, and what strategic or philosophical alignment made this acquisition the right fit?

John Brock: La Quercia has long been recognized as one of the pioneers of American artisan cured meats, and what initially drew us to the brand was the depth of its craftsmanship and commitment to responsible sourcing. 

Philosophically, both companies share a belief that great charcuterie starts with great raw materials, respect for tradition, and a willingness to thoughtfully apply modern tools to improve quality and consistency.

Strategically, La Quercia strengthens our position across the premium and artisan spectrum of charcuterie. The brand brings strong consumer trust, chef credibility, and leadership in American-style dry-cured whole muscle products. From day one, this felt less like a transaction and more like bringing together two organizations committed to elevating the category in the U.S.

How does acquiring La Quercia expand or change Charcuterie Artisans’ product portfolio, production capabilities, or market reach?

John Brock: La Quercia’s Iowa-based production adds complementary expertise and capacity in dry curing and specialty programs, while allowing us to leverage our broader manufacturing scale and supply chain to support future growth. This combination gives us more ways to serve customers while maintaining the distinct identity of each brand.

What operational or cultural elements of La Quercia were priorities to preserve post-acquisition, and why were those elements critical?

John Brock: Preserving La Quercia’s craft culture was a top priority. That includes:

• Their ingredient sourcing philosophy and humane animal standards
• Their slower, traditional curing processes where appropriate
• Their deep relationships with chefs, farmers, and specialty customers
• Their talented and dedicated employees and staff, all of whom have been asked to remain at the company

These elements are critical because they are the foundation of the brand’s authenticity and trust with consumers. Our goal is to provide resources, scale, and investment while protecting the characteristics that made La Quercia successful in the first place. From a broader company perspective, we believe the future of charcuterie is built on both scale and craft,and our family of brands, which now includes La Quercia, delivers on that. 

How do you see the new Innovation Center on the Rhode Island campus supporting future product development, collaboration, and growth following the La Quercia acquisition?

John Brock: The new Innovation Center is a major investment in the future of the category and directly supports our next phase of growth following the La Quercia acquisition. It allows us to bring together R&D, culinary development, and commercialization teams in a purpose-built environment designed for collaboration and speed to market. The facility supports new product development, process improvement, and cross-brand learning.

More broadly, the Innovation Center is part of a larger capacity expansion strategy that positions us to support long-term demand growth across our brand portfolio. We also see it as a hub where traditional craft knowledge and modern food science can work together, which is especially meaningful as we integrate La Quercia’s deep artisan expertise into our broader innovation pipeline.