Buys a 40% stake in the foods division of the Brazilian poultry company
MONTENEGRO
, RS,
Brazil
and
SPRINGDALE, Ark.
,
Aug. 30, 2019
(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its global growth strategy,
Tyson Foods, Inc.
(NYSE: TSN) has reached an agreement to invest in the foods division of Grupo Vibra (“Vibra Foods”), a Brazilian producer and exporter of poultry products. Once completed, the deal will give
Tyson Foods
more flexibility in serving customers in key global markets. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the transaction is still subject to approval by Brazilian regulators.
“This investment will enable us to access poultry supplies in
Brazil
to meet the growing needs of Brazilian customers and of priority demand markets in
Asia
,
Europe
and the Middle East,” said
Donnie King
, group president, international & chief administration officer for
Tyson Foods
. “It’s part of our strategy to develop a more flexible supply chain and mitigate the volatility of our previous model, which relied primarily on
U.S.
exports.”
Since last year,
Tyson Foods
has expanded its global presence through the acquisition of
Keystone Foods
, which includes operations in
China
,
South Korea
,
Malaysia
,
Thailand
and
Australia
, and BRF’s poultry businesses in
Thailand
and
Europe
. Grupo Vibra currently serves customers in
Brazil
as well as more than 50 countries around the world.
“This agreement is the result of the mutual trust between our two companies and the goal of both companies to expand globally,” said
Flavio Sergio Wallauer
, chairman of the board for Grupo Vibra. “We also both believe in the importance of constantly adding value to our products. For us, this includes continuing to grow, innovate and strengthen the position of our brands, Nat and Avia.”
Over the next five years, it is estimated that nearly 98 percent of protein consumption growth will happen outside the
U.S.
“That’s why we’re growing our business outside the U.S.,” said King. “As the world population continues to grow, Tyson will grow with it.”
Tyson Foods
currently generates
$7 billion
in international sales annually. This includes
$5 billion
in
U.S.
export sales and about
$2 billion
in in-country revenues.
“Tyson will add know-how and new business opportunities to speed up our growth,” said Gerson Luís Müller, CEO of Grupo Vibra. “This partnership will be important to further develop our businesses in
Brazil
and foreign markets, granting access to new technologies and investments mainly in R&D. We will capitalize on a global distribution network to reach new markets. We trust that this agreement will strongly contribute to improve the quality of our services, adding new products to our portfolio offered to clients and consumers.”
As part of the agreement, Grupo Vibra will spin-off its genetics multiplication business, Agrogen, into a separate company.
About Grupo Vibra
Grupo Vibra is one of the leading Brazilian Poultry producers, with more than 50 years of experience in the business. Vibra operates in the production and commercialization of chicken protein with the brands Nat and Avia. Its facilities include hatcheries, laboratories, farms, feed factories and slaughterhouses, serving the Brazilian market and more than 50 countries around the world. It is headquartered in
Montenegro
, South of
Brazil
, having operations in
Paraná
and
Minas Gerais
states, as well as a business unit in
Dubai
. With 18 production units, more than 4,000 employees, Vibra has a network of about 700 integrated producer families. In 2018 the company inaugurated the Vibra Innovation Center (CIV) in
Montenegro
, considered the first product research and development center of its segment in the South region of
Brazil
. Visit
www.vibra.com.br
and
www.somosnat.com.br
.
About
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc.
(NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by
John W. Tyson
and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®.
Tyson Foods
innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in
Springdale, Arkansas
, the company had 121,000 team members at
September 29, 2018
. Through its Core Values,
Tyson Foods
strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit
www.tysonfoods.com
.
Media Contacts
Worth Sparkman
|
Tyson Foods, Inc.
|
worth.sparkman@tyson.com
| 479-290-6358
Martha Becker
| Martha Becker Comunicação Corporativa|
martha@marthabecker.com.br
| (51) 3029-7471