Meat giant Animex hopes to taste record profits after consolidation

The consolidation of the domestic meat industry speeds up as the currently enlarged Animex group aims to post a record profit of zł.2.7 billion this year. After an American company, Smithfield Foods, took over Morliny for zł.185 million and made it part of Animex, the meat concern which now consists of eight plants - four that process red meat and four poultry processing plants. "This year the Animex Group's turnover will reach $600 million (zł.2.15 billion). Morliny will bring additional $150 million (zł.550 million)," said Animex president Morten Jensen. He added that the group's expansion is not a threat to other companies on the domestic market. "This year the group will invest at least $20 million in its plants, Morliny included," added Jensen. New investments are designed to increase production capacities as well as to increase the quality of products for foreign customers. Increasing output is essential as Animex wants to co-operate with large sales networks demanding regular supplies of large quantities of stock. "We now own two out of three most popular meat brands in Poland," bragged Jensen about Animex's Morliny, Krakus, Pek and Yano brands. (Puls Biznesu, p. 7) D.W.