WARSAW, POLAND – Smithfield Foods Inc. acquired a meat processing company called Mecom Group from parent company Penta Investments. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed and is subject to approval by regulators in Hungary and Slovakia where Mecom operates meat processing plants.

Smithfield Foods and Carnibona Holdings, which is owned by Penta Investments, signed a purchase agreement and successfully completed a tender in which multiple strategic investors competed to purchase the business, Smithfield said.

Luis Cerdan, executive vice president, European Business, for Smithfield Foods, said the acquisition, “…reinforces Smithfield’s commitment to both increasing our branded portfolio and continued investment in our European operations. The Mecom Group is a company with high-quality products and outstanding employees that will fit well into our European growth plan and complement our existing brand portfolio.”

Mecom Group operates two processing plants in Slovakia, according to the Carbonia Holdings website. The Lučenec plant has processing capacity of 3,500 tonnes per month and manufactures hot dogs, semi-dry salami, pates, cold cuts and seasonal specialties. The facility in Humenné is the largest Slovak meat processing plant in the town with a production capacity of 4,000 tonnes per month specializing in dry salami and sausages, ham, soft salami, smoked meat products and bacon.

Mecom also operates two smaller plants in Hungary. The plant in Szolnok has processing capacity of 80 tonnes per month and manufactures Hungarian winter salami with noble mold, also known as “noble rot,” which is a beneficial mold that grows on ripe wine grapes and aids in concentration of sugars and flavors. The company’s Békéscsaba facility has processing capacity of 300 tonnes per month and specializes in dry sausage production.