Dutch poultry company Plukon Food Group, recognised across Europe for its innovative approach to chicken production, ready meals, salads and alternative proteins, continues to strengthen its position in the Spanish market. Over the past few years, Plukon has carried out three major strategic acquisitions in the Spanish poultry industry: Grupo VMR, Redondo and Sambau. These operations have not only reinforced its position in the Madrid region, but have also opened up new growth opportunities across Spain and created collaboration prospects for its local partners.
1. Acquisition of Grupo VMR (2020)
Plukon’s first major move into Spain took place in January 2020 with the acquisition of Grupo de Gestión Empresarial Avícola VMR (VMR). Through this transaction, Plukon consolidated its ambition to become a leading player in the European chicken production and marketing market.
- Vertical integration: Grupo VMR possessed a fully integrated structure, encompassing feed mills, its own slaughterhouse and a distribution network supplying various markets in Madrid and the surrounding area.
- Local strength: VMR’s flagship brand, Gallus Gallus, was a benchmark in the traditional Spanish market. Its distribution network and expertise in the local market provided Plukon with a solid foundation from which to continue growing and reaching new customers.
- New horizon: With this acquisition, Plukon added Spain as its “sixth home market”, thus incorporating a production and sales area serving more than 260 million consumers across Europe.
2. Acquisition of Redondo (2024)
In January 2024, Plukon announced the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Redondo (Explotaciones Avícolas José Luis Redondo S.A.), a second-generation family poultry company that had been operating since 1963 in the Madrid region. This purchase further reinforced Plukon’s presence at the heart of Spain.
- Focus on quality: Like Plukon, Redondo was characterised by its emphasis on the production of fresh, high-quality chicken. It also supplied key retail, B2B and foodservice companies.
- Strategic coverage: With facilities located close to its main customers, Redondo was able to guarantee an agile and efficient service, which perfectly complemented Plukon’s existing structure.
- Value synergies: Thanks to the shared vision of both companies, new opportunities emerged for process optimisation and value creation for customers.
3. Incorporation of Sambau (2024)
Just a few months later, in April 2024, Plukon acquired Sambau, a poultry products distributor and processor founded in 1986 in Madrid. Through this transaction, Plukon sought to definitively consolidate its leadership in the Spanish capital.
- Specialist in the traditional market: Sambau had built a strong reputation serving the more traditional segment of the poultry industry, supplying quality chicken and adapting to the needs of local customers.
- Synergy creation: The combination of Sambau’s knowledge and experience with Plukon’s global capabilities made it possible to boost competitiveness and offer a more comprehensive service across the region.
- Regional strengthening: With this third acquisition, Plukon further expanded its production and distribution network, establishing itself as a benchmark operator in the Madrid area.
About Plukon
Plukon Food Group is an innovative player in the European food sector, supplying poultry products, meals and salads, meal components and alternative proteins to leading food industry partners across Europe. It currently operates 38 processing plants across seven countries and employs approximately 11,000 people. Plukon Group aims to play a leading role in translating the needs of customers worldwide into innovative products, formats and rearing solutions. Plukon produces healthy and varied food for millions of people across Europe, at affordable prices, readily accessible and easy to prepare. Its motto is: “Think fresh. Act fresh. Keep it fresh.” — which is why it needs farms and slaughterhouses wherever its customers are located, as demonstrated by these three major acquisitions, which add to the significant number of poultry investments in Spain that have taken place in recent times.
Facts and Figures
The company currently operates 38 facilities across Europe, including 10 in the Netherlands, 7 in Germany, 3 in Belgium, 2 in Poland, 6 in France, 8 in Spain and 2 in Denmark. Its head office is located in Wezep, in the Netherlands. In 2023, it achieved a turnover of approximately €3.1 billion.