Group of Butchers

Group of Butchers is a market-leading provider of premium artisanal meat products.

Founded in Tilburg in the Netherlands in 1997, Group of Butchers produces a wide range of premium processed meat products including sausage and minced meat specialities.

The business has established stable customer relationships with many of the leading food retail chains in the Netherlands, Belgian and German markets through which it sells its products.

As a result of strong organic growth and market expansion through the integration of strategic acquisitions, Group of Butchers has expanded its workforce to 900 employees and more than doubled its site numbers to 14, with two distribution centres and 12 production facilities.

VALUE CREATION

Since investment, Equistone has worked closely with Group of Butchers to support its plans for expansion by the:

• Appointment of a new CEO at acquisition, Remko Rosman, who has worked with Equistone on a prior investment (MPS) and who has overseen the strategic development of the business.
• Acquisition of four add-ons in the Netherlands, with the most recent, Schouten Vleeswaren, completed in July 2019.
• Completion of a further two acquisitions, which led to Group of Butchers entering into the larger neighbouring German market. 

As well as achieving external growth, the business has continued to increase its volumes, while improving margins and production yields, having won numerous tenders leading to strong organic growth. As a result, revenue has more than doubled from €128m at acquisition to €280m forecast for 2020.

The Exit

Equistone Fund V sold its investment in Group of Butchers to Dutch investment firm, Parcom Private Equity.