Delimax Veaux Lourds, a Quebec producer of milk-fed and grain-fed veal calves for markets across northeastern North America, has joined a four-way merger into “one of the largest vertically integrated veal organizations in the U.S.”
Its merger partners in the still-unnamed holding company include two veal and lamb processors, New Jersey-based Catelli Brothers and California-based Specialty Meats Inc.
The fourth partner, NRV, makes milk replacers at Ixonia, Wisc., about 60 km west of Milwaukee. Alto Dairy Co-operative sold NRV, formerly known as Real Veal, to St. Hyacinthe-based Delimax in 2007.
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The new company, which bills itself as “one of the largest veal and lamb purveyors” in the U.S., plans to supply the retail and food service industries throughout the U.S. with veal and lamb under such brands as Catelli Bros., Catelli Bros. Italian Bistro, Lido Gourmet, Chef’s Reserve and Summit Ridge.
All the merging companies will continue to operate independently under their existing corporate structures and brand names, they said. However, through this affiliation, the brands will now have national as well as regional distribution capabilities, the companies said.
“Our farms add supply strength to this new company which we fully expect will become an increasingly important factor for the national retail and food service marketplace,” Delimax president Robert Wynands said in a release Wednesday.
The merger takes effect “immediately” and the new holding company expects to finalize a name early this year, the companies said.
“This merger will help ensure a vibrant market for our feed customers and will position us to extend the market for milk-fed calves,” NRV general manager Dale Bakke said in the same release.
The new company “will now be able to oversee all phases of production and supply to offer a broad range of products — from the finest quality feed to responsible farming of superior calves to customized cuts of veal and lamb for the food service and consumer retail industries,” the member companies said.
Delimax, which has operated since 1989, describes itself as offering services for purchases of young calves, the supply of started calves, the technical framework for heavy veal producers, quality feed for calves (milk, corn, protein supplements) and the transport of calves and feed.
