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Western Smokehouse Partners Acquires Golden Valley Natural Jerky

May 17, 2024

The acquisition is expected to help Western expand its distribution and product offerings in the meat snacks marketplace.

Andy Hanacek

Galesburg, Ill.-based meat snacks manufacturer Western Smokehouse Partners has acquired Golden Valley Natural, another meat snacks processor based in Shelley, Idaho, according to a release from Western distributed today.

Golden Valley gives Western market expansion opportunities as well as additional product offerings and follows a change in private-equity ownership for Western more than a year ago.

Matt Bormann, CEO of Western Smokehouse Partners, said the deal aligns with the company’s mission to provide better-for-you meat snack products. Golden Valley was founded in 1968 by Roger Ball and was led today by his children, including Ben Ball, president and co-owner.

Golden Valley Natural’s expertise in the jerky category complements Western Smokehouse Partners’ current focus on premium meat sticks seamlessly, allowing all parties to create synergies that will drive value for our customers and growth for the industry, the release noted. Western operates four facilities in the Midwest, producing a wide array of co-manufactured, private label, and branded products.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.