Big Dutchman acquires Spanish poultry competitor
The Big Dutchman group based in Vechta-Calveslage (Germany) is taking over the Spanish poultry equipment supplier Zucami. The company with its headquarters in Beriáin, near Pamplona, recently became insolvent.
“As a result of the bidding procedure, the insolvency court accepted our concept presented in December,” confirms Bernd Meerpohl, Chairman of the Big Dutchman AG board of management. This concept intends for Big Dutchman to purchase the assets of the competitor from Northern Spain while maintaining its headquarters and saving approximately half of the 120 jobs. Business will continue under the new name Zucami Poultry Equipment S.L.
“Even as part of the Big Dutchman group, Zucami will remain an independent brand on the international market,” says Meerpohl.
“Management and distribution will not be affected substantially. We are also happy that the shareholders of the company are still available as consultants.”
According to Meerpohl, the Spanish company had earned an outstanding reputation in the industry and a very impressive presence in some regions. In addition, Zucami’s product line is designed in a very different but interesting way compared to Big Dutchman’s products, thus ideally complementing the group’s product range.
Big Dutchman is the world’s leading equipment supplier for modern pig and poultry production. The independent, family-owned company based in Vechta-Calveslage offers its products in more than 100 countries and achieved a turnover of EUR 732 million in the past business year.
Zucami distributes housing equipment worldwide and is considered a leading supplier of equipment for laying hens in Spain and South America. In 2012, the company’s turnover still amounted to approx. EUR 110 million. However, this figure took a nosedive in the last year of crisis, 2013.
