Strauss Brands Selling Veal and Lamb Business to Catelli Brothers
Just a couple days after announcing it would shut down veal and lamb processing operations at its Franklin, Wis., plant, Strauss Brands has revealed it has agreed in principle to sell its veal and lamb business to Catelli Brothers Family of Foods (a subsidiary of Canada-based Preval AG) — shifting its own focus to a partnership with a Texas-based producer of grass-fed, grass-finished beef.
The divestiture of the veal and lamb business is expected to close in the next several weeks. Catelli Brothers is expected to shift Strauss veal and lamb production to its two U.S. plants in Collingswood, N.J., and Sutton, Mass. Strauss customers are expected to move seamlessly into the Catelli business.
Meanwhile, Strauss will proceed with its new beef business focus, partnering with Eddy Foods to expand beef product offerings under its Grass Rooted label. This partnership will strengthen both companies’ business and operational synergies in this important and growing segment. Eddy Foods brings value-added processing capabilities to Strauss’s product mix, including the capability to process smoked sausage, sliced, slow-smoked brisket, and marinated, sauced and shredded barbecue. Eddy Foods operates processing plants in Yoakum, Texas, and Greenwood, S.C.
