L-R Laurie Marguglio, Michael Andrews, Peter Andrews, and Nick Zanapalis at the Prime Cut Meats facility in Brisbane.

JBS Australia’s Andrews Meat division has purchased Queensland-based food service wholesaler and portion-cutter Prime Cut Meats.

This latest move in the growth of Andrews Meat Industries will take the operation to a forecasted $650 million turnover in the coming financial year.

Andrews Meats chief executive Peter Andrews said the move will add value to PCM’s strong reputation for quality and service, enabling enhanced product and distribution capability in the Queensland and northern New South Wales foodservice markets.

“This is a natural fit for both businesses, and we’re all pleased that the Prime Cut Meats team is uniting with the Andrews Meat family,” Mr Andrews said.

“PCM has a strong reputation for service and quality, and AMI will bring further value to the operation by helping to increase that capacity and capability.”

Prime Cut Meats is a supplier of premium meat products to hospitality venues across Brisbane and wider Queensland including restaurants, hotels, food service providers and caterers.

PCM manager Laurie Marguglio said the business started in 2007 with a philosophy of providing the best cuts to chefs in Brisbane. It has been an outstanding venture that has progressively grown and developed in the years since, and AMI is the ideal strategic next step for the business, he said.

PCM manager Nick Zanapalis said as the Queensland food service market expands, this was the perfect opportunity for Prime Cut Meats to join with a similar business that appreciates what we’ve built in terms of service and reputation, while growing the capability of what can be offered to our clientele.

JBS Australia CEO Brent Eastwood said the acquisition reflected JBS’s ongoing strategy to build its position as a leading food solutions provider in Australia.

“This initiative demonstrates JBS’ commitment to investing in businesses that share our focus on quality, service, and customer relationships,” Mr Eastwood said.

“By supporting Andrews Meat Industries and Prime Cut Meats, we’re enhancing our ability to deliver premium protein solutions across the eastern seaboard and reinforcing JBS’ role as a trusted partner to the foodservice industry.”

AMI joined the JBS Australia group in July 2014 when the Andrews family sold a majority shareholding of their $95 million turnover operation to JBS to form a business that is now forecasted to turnover more than $650 million annually across domestic, export and cooked food divisions.

The Andrews family continue to manage the operations of Andrews Meat Industries.

Source: Andrews Meats