Westfleisch Shows Interest in Acquiring Vion's Slaughterhouses

The German meat processing company Westfleisch, based in Münster, has expressed interest in acquiring the slaughterhouses belonging to its competitor, Vion. This development follows Vion's announcement of its plans to largely withdraw from the German market and close several of its facilities.

Westfleisch's interest was confirmed in a statement made to the German Press Agency. Further details regarding this potential acquisition are expected to be revealed during an event scheduled for July 30 at the Bavarian Agricultural House in Herrsching, located by Lake Ammersee.

Vion, a Dutch slaughtering firm, has stated its intention to shut down multiple sites across Germany, which include three beef slaughterhouses in Buchloe, Waldkraiburg, and Crailsheim, as well as a cutting plant in Hilden and two hide processing facilities in Memmingen and Eching-Weichenau. Notably, four of these locations are situated in Bavaria.

The Premium Food Group, previously known as the Tönnies Group, had initially reached a preliminary agreement for the acquisition of Vion's sites last year. However, in June, the Federal Cartel Office of Germany blocked this purchase after a thorough review. In response, the Premium Food Group has filed an appeal, which is currently under consideration by the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf, though no date has been set for the initial hearing.

In 2024, the Premium Food Group was the leading company in pig slaughtering within Germany, significantly outpacing Westfleisch in terms of volume. Vion has been a prominent player in the beef slaughtering sector in the country, outperforming both Westfleisch and the former Tönnies Group in terms of the number of animals processed in 2022.