The Hain
Celestial Group Inc. has taken full ownership of Empire Kosher Poultry Inc. of
Mifflintown, Pa., by purchasing the 80 per cent of EK Holdings Inc. shares it
did not already own.
It’s a
case of the seller taking over the buyer because Empire recently bought Kosher
Valley from Hain Pure Protein Corp.
Hain,
based in Lake Success, N.Y., markets more than 2,000 kosher-certified products.
Hain paid $57.6
million for the EK Holdings shares.
There is
no longer a kosher poultry processing plant in Ontario so kosher chicken now
comes from either the one remaining Canadian kosher poultry plant in Montreal
or is imported under supplementary permits issued by the federal government
only when the product can’t be sourced from Canadians.
Kosher
Valley is the first brand of certified kosher antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed
and humanely-raised all-natural branded chicken and turkey products.
Empire generated
more than $100 million in net sales in calendar year 2014. Whole Food
Markets, a national retail food chain, is one of its major customers.
Hain Celestial has more than 2,000 products that are
kosher certified in its branded portfolio of natural and organic
products. It’s brands include Celestial Seasonings, Garden of Eatin',
MaraNatha, Rice Dream, Soy Dream, FreeBird, Empire Kosher, Kosher Valley, Linda
McCartney and Queen Helen.
