Raw hamburger patties with rosemary on white wooden table, closeup

Protein Processor Branding Iron Holdings Acquired by Private Equity Firm

Nov. 14, 2024

COO Andy Touchette will be promoted to CEO, and John Niemann will become executive chairman at closing of the deal with Kingswood Capital Management.

Andy Hanacek

Sauget, Ill.-based protein processor Branding Iron Holdings has been acquired by Kingswood Capital Management LP, according to a release.

With facilities in Rochester and Sauk Rapids, Minn., Branding Iron produces branded and private-label, frozen and refrigerated beef, pork and ground product for foodservice, retail and chain restaurants. The company has been supplying frozen and refrigerated beef patties, portioned and bulk product, breaded product, pork and other proteins for 60 years, the release noted.

In conjunction with the deal and effective at closing of the transaction, chief operating officer Andy Touchette will be promoted to chief executive officer and protein industry veteran John Niemann will join the company’s board of directors as executive chairman. Touchette said of the transaction: “It was important to us to identify a long-term partner who will help us grow and support customers across every channel, and we believe we found that in Kingswood.”

Branding Iron Holdings, in its current form, debuted in 2007 when Holten Meats merged with Rochester Meat Co. Holten’s legacy dates back to 1960, while Rochester Meat was founded in 1971.

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.