Oerlemans Foods, Venlo, the Netherlands, producer of frozen and fresh vegetables, fruits and potato products, is being sold to Baltussen Holding B.V., another Dutch company based in Driel, by its Dutch parent Vion N.V. of Eindhoven, which wants to get out of the vegetable business.
Baltussen will be supported in the takeover by its strategic partner Rijko B.V. Baltussen, which specializes in growing and processing of fresh vegetables, supplying the raw materials. Vion, in keeping with a corporate strategy announced last June, want to concentrate on its food ingredients business; it is also seeking to sell its meat business in the UK.
Oerlemans has a range of over 1,000 products under the Oerlemans, Keizer, Bio+ and Bauer brands, and focuses on the international foodservice, retail and industrial markets. It has production plants in the Netherlands and Poland. Oerlemans Foods employs 740, The sale is not expected to affect the work force. Advice has been requested from the Oerlemans Works Council regarding the intended sale. The transaction is also subject to the approval of competition authorities in Poland and Ukraine.
