Equistone to sell Group of Butchers to Parcom

Funds advised by Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”) have agreed to sell their majority stake in Group of Butchers, a leading manufacturer and supplier of artisanal specialty meat products based in Tilburg in the Netherlands, to Dutch investment firm Parcom Private Equity (“Parcom”). Equistone acquired Group of Butchers in 2017 and since then has supported the company’s growth strategy through a range of targeted acquisitions. The financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed and the transaction remains subject to approval from the relevant competition authorities.

Founded in Tilburg in 1997, Group of Butchers has developed into a Dutch market leader for high-quality artisanal meat products with a focus on sausage and minced meat specialties. The company is characterised by high quality standards, smart product marketing, constant innovations in its production and procurement processes and a keen eye for spotting new trends in the industry such as American BBQ, gourmet burger restaurants and street food. Its broad range of high-quality meat and sausage products is primarily distributed by leading retail chains in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Equistone acquired a majority stake in Group of Butchers in early 2017 and has since then supported the company’s strategic growth through several targeted acquisitions and expansion into new markets. In 2018, Group of Butchers acquired Koetsier Vleeswaren and Keulen Vleeswaren, two Dutch producers of smoked and cured sausage products, as well as Gebroeders Snijders Vleeswarenfabriek and VLL Vers Logistiek Limburg. The latter acquisitions allowed Group of Butchers to further expand its service offering in the slicing and packaging of meat products. In addition, the company entered the German market in late 2018 by acquiring Hartmann GmbH, a leading producer of minced meat products based in Warendorf, Germany, as well as Gmyrek Group, a well-established manufacturer of meat and sausage products based in Gifhorn, Germany. In July 2019, Schouten Vleeswaren, a Dutch specialist for BBQ and grilled meat products, was also added to the group. In total, Group of Butchers today employs a staff of 900 at 12 production facilities and 2 distribution centres, and forecasts revenues of around €280 million for 2020.

“The partnership with Equistone allowed us to expand our geographical reach and once more significantly strengthen our position as a leading manufacturer and supplier of high-quality artisanal meat products in the Netherlands and increasingly also in Germany and Belgium. We are looking forward to our cooperation with Parcom for our next growth steps,” says Remko Rosman, CEO at Group of Butchers.

“The outstanding market position of Group of Butchers is above all a result of its high quality standards as well as its broad expertise in identifying trends in the premium meat products sector. Along with its excellent management team, we have implemented a successful buy-and-build strategy in recent years and ideally positioned the company for further growth. We are happy that Group of Butchers has found the optimal partner to support its next steps,” says Dr. Marc Arens, Partner at Equistone.

“We see a lot of potential in the integration of recent acquisitions and organic growth as well as adding new customers and product categories to Group of Butchers' portfolio through more buy-and-build. We look forward to actively supporting the company in further developing its potential,” says Maurits Werkhoven, Partner at Parcom.

Dr. Marc Arens and Maximilian Göppert led the transaction on behalf of Equistone. Equistone was advised by Rothschild & Co (M&A), EY Parthenon (CDD), EY Financial (FDD), EY Tax (TDD) and A&O (Legal).