Company News: Merck, Alltech, Smithfield Foods 

(Alison Fulton, Farm Journal's PORK)

Merck to Acquire Parent Company of Allflex, SCR

The owners of Allflex ear tags and SCR dairy monitoring technology is being acquired by Merck. The acquisition of the Antelliq Group, formerly known as the Allflex Group, was made public on Dec. 14 in a joint press release by Merck and Antelliq. Properties of Antelliq will be wholly owned and separately operated subsidiary within the Merck Animal Health Division.

Merck will make a cash payment of approximately $2.37 billion (2.1 billion euros) to purchase all of Antelliq’s outstanding shares. Merck will also assume Antelliq’s remaining debt which will be repaid after the acquisition closes.

Antelliq is a leader in the digital animal identification, traceability and monitoring solutions category with brands like Allflex and SCR. The company had $407 million (360 million euros) worth of sales for the 12 month period ending Sept. 30, 2018.

SCR was acquired by the Allflex Group through BC Partners in Dec. 2014. Then on Feb. 5, 2018, the group name was changed to Antelliq. 

Prior to the transaction closing it will be subject to clearance by antitrust and competition law authorities and other customary closing conditions. The companies expect the deal to close by the second quarter of 2019. Merck was represented by Barclays and Centerview Partners and Antelliq was represented by Goldman Sachs International and Rothschild & Co.


U.S. Farmers Win Trips to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

The Alltech #iamAG online agvocacy photo contest showcased the beauty of American agriculture through the eyes of producers, who submitted and shared photos of their farms for the opportunity to win a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), to be held in Lexington, Ky., on May 19–21, 2019. 

The winners of the Alltech #iamAG photo contest are: Tammy Wiedenbeck of Lancaster, Wis., Rachel Ezzell of Waxhaw, N.C., Jacob Pierce of Waxhaw, N.C., Katie Edmondson of Cortez, Colo. 

The submitted photos were posted on Alltech’s Facebook page for public voting. For more information or to register for the ONE, visit one.alltech.com
 

Smithfield Foods Adds 250 Jobs in North Carolina with New Distribution Center 

Smithfield Foods, Inc. opened a new distribution center in Tar Heel, N.C. Monday, which will create approximately 250 new jobs in the state. Smithfield invested more than $100 million into the over 500,000-square-foot facility, about the size of eight football fields, and its blast cell cold storage capabilities at its processing facility, which will strengthen the company’s supply chain to better serve customers globally.

The new facility features nearly 50,000 pallet positions and has an annual capacity of more than one billion pounds. It will also optimize its transportation and distribution network to lower fuel usage, cut transportation costs and improve delivery times. It is located adjacent to one of the company’s meat processing facilities, which is the largest pork plant in the world, and produces fresh pork products for customers in the U.S. and across the globe.

New employees at the distribution center will join more than 5,000 currently employed at the Tar Heel facility. To learn about Smithfield, visit smithfieldfoods.com

 

Related Articles:

Merck to Acquire Parent Company of Allflex, SCR

Smithfield Foods, Culinary Institute of America Help Educate Next Gen

Alltech Opens Manufacturing Facility in India

 

Latest News

Study Highlights Hog Pricing Trends, Importance of Livestock Mandatory Reporting
Study Highlights Hog Pricing Trends, Importance of Livestock Mandatory Reporting

As the pork industry adapts to changing market environments, it is critical the values published in USDA reports and used for base price determination are accurate and representative of supply and demand conditions.

Pinilla Joins Topigs Norsvin as Director of Technical Services
Pinilla Joins Topigs Norsvin as Director of Technical Services

Topigs Norsvin USA announces the appointment of Juan Carlos Pinilla, DVM, MS, as Director of Technical Services.

Ready for Battle: How $2.6 Million Will Help K-State Researcher Fight African Swine Fever
Ready for Battle: How $2.6 Million Will Help K-State Researcher Fight African Swine Fever

With $2.6 million in new support to fight the deadly African swine fever virus, a Kansas State University researcher is armed with new ammunition to battle one of the biggest global threats to swine production.

Free Trade Agreements are Crucial for Supply Chain Resilience, NPPC Says
Free Trade Agreements are Crucial for Supply Chain Resilience, NPPC Says

Over the past 40 years, ag exports have grown significantly, particularly to countries with which the U.S. has negotiated FTAs. That's why NPPC recently submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?
How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?

“If we step back and look at what that means for farmland, we're taking our energy production system from highly centralized production facilities and we have to distribute it,” says David Muth.

Food Security is a Real Challenge
Food Security is a Real Challenge

A recent airport visit gave Chad Carr, a meat scientist at the University of Florida, a new perspective on challenges commercial food production faces with consumers.