Belgian frozen fruit and vegetable supplier Crop's has expanded its operations in the US, as the company has acquired the frozen food business of American food company National Cortina.
In a press release on Thursday, Crop's confirmed that it has completed the acquisition of National Cortina's frozen food operations, making the Belgian company a "leading importer of frozen food in North America".
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was confirmed that the acquisition will take effect from 1 October.
Headquartered in Ooigem in West Flanders, Crop's is owned by the Delbaere family, and operates ten factories, including two in Belgium. The company employs 2,000 people worldwide and reported revenues of €600 million last year.
Meanwhile National Cortina is owned by the Rahal family, and from beginnings as a tomato import company has grown into an established ingredient supplier to the US food industry.
Crop's imports and distributes frozen fruits and vegetables in the US through One Frozen, a joint venture between Crop's and US company LiDestri Foods. The announced acquisition will see National Cortina replace LiDestri Foods in the joint venture.
Michaël Van Dyck, business unit director for North America at Crop’s, said that the merger with the frozen business of National Cortina is a "game-changer for One Frozen and a milestone in the execution of our Crop’s growth strategy".
"By joining forces, we will be able to offer a more complementary product range to the market, making us a one-stop shop for all frozen vegetables and fruits in the U.S. food market for existing and future customers,” he said.
John LiDestri, CEO of National Cortina, said that the deal will allow the company to supply the Crop's group, "leading to a richer product mix, a more optimised supply chain, and more efficient logistics".
