The board of directors of Smithfield Foods Inc., the parent company of Patrick Cudahy LLC, has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Shuanghui International Holdings Limited, which is China’s largest meat processing company for $7.1 billion, including the assumption of Smithfield’s net debt.
Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Shuanghui will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Smithfield for $34.00 per share in cash.
“This is a great transaction for all Smithfield stakeholders, as well as for American farmers and U.S. agriculture,” said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield, which is based in Smithfield, Va. “We have established Smithfield as the world’s leading and most trusted vertically integrated pork processor and hog producer, and are excited that Shuanghui recognizes our best-in-class operations, our outstanding food safety practices and our 46,000 hard-working and dedicated employees. It will be business as usual – only better – at Smithfield. We do not anticipate any changes in how we do business operationally in the United States and throughout the world. We will become part of an enterprise that shares our belief in global opportunities and our commitment to the highest standards of product safety and quality. With our shared expertise and leadership, we look forward to accelerating a global expansion strategy as part of Shuanghui.”
It was not immediately clear how the acquisition will impact the Patrick Cudahy plant in Cudahy.
Shuanghui said it will honor the collective bargaining agreements in place with Smithfield’s represented employees, as well as existing wage and benefit packages for non-represented employees. Under the agreement, there will be no closures at Smithfield’s facilities and locations, and Smithfield’s existing management team will remain in place.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Smithfield, which represents a historic opportunity for both companies and their stakeholders,” said Shuanghui chairman Wan Long. “Shuanghui is a leading pork producer in China and a pioneer in the Chinese meat processing industry with over 30 years of history. Smithfield is a leader in our industry and together we will be able to meet the growing demand in China for pork by importing high-quality meat products from the United States, while continuing to serve markets in the United States and around the world. The combination creates a company with an unmatched set of assets, products and geographic reach.”
Wan added,”The acquisition provides Smithfield the opportunity to expand its offering of products to China through Shuanghui’s distribution network. Shuanghui will gain access to high-quality, competitively-priced and safe U.S. products, as well as Smithfield’s best practices and operational expertise. We were especially attracted to Smithfield for its strong management team, leading brands and vertically integrated model. We look forward to working with Larry Pope and the many talented employees at Smithfield to grow the combined company as a leading global pork and processed meat producer with the same vision and values of providing high-quality and safe products to consumers.”
Upon closing of the transaction, Smithfield’s common stock will cease to be publicly traded.
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2013.
