Premium Brands Holdings Corp. invests in Yorkshire Valley Farms

Premium Brands Holdings Corp., a producer, marketer, and distributor of branded specialty food products, has acquired a 62.6% interest in Yorkshire Valley Farms Ltd., an Ontario, Canada-based processor and marketer of organic chicken products. Yorkshire, which has annualized sales of approximately $65 million, operates a modern 40,000-sq-ft processing facility located in Harriston, Ontario. It was founded in 2010 by a group of farming families led by Tony Ambler and Tom Ahrens. Under the leadership of its president, James Sculthorpe, and his management team, Yorkshire has become one of Canada’s top producers of organic fresh and frozen chicken, most of which is sold under its industry leading Yorkshire Valley Farms brand.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Yorkshire. Not only are we gaining another very talented
management team, who over a relatively short period established Yorkshire as a leading player in the Canadian organic chicken market, but we are also expanding into a new and exciting high growth product category,” said George Paleologou, president and CEO of Premium Brands. “Organic protein products are growing faster than the overall category in both Canada and the United States. This transaction, which combines the unique strengths of Yorkshire with our wide range of resources and capabilities, strongly positions Yorkshire to accelerate its growth in this rapidly expanding market segment. Furthermore, Yorkshire will provide our other branded protein businesses with proprietary access to a relatively scarce resource as they continue to extend their leading position in premium, artisan, and specialty value added proteins.”

Press release (pdf)