Jack Link's has purchased the meat snack business of Grass Run Farms, a deal coming soon after Link's introduction of a new jerky brand called Lorissa's Kitchen.
Jack Link's purchases snack business, launches higher-end jerky brand
Jack Link's has purchased the meat snack business of Grass Run Farms, a deal coming soon after Link's introduction of a new jerky brand call Lorissa's Kitchen.
March 11, 2016 at 3:12AM
Both moves are aimed at broadening Jack Link's reach into more higher-end jerky markets.
Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link's, which has a sizable presence in downtown Minneapolis, this week bought Grass Run Farms' snack line from meat giant JBS for an undisclosed price. Grass Run Farms gets its beef from a network of Midwestern farms that specializes in raising grass-fed cattle
Grass Run's snack business includes jerky, beef sticks and summer sausage, all produced from cattle raised without antibiotics and added growth hormones. Grass Run, known for producing high-end beef, was founded by husband-and-wife Iowa farmers who sold to JBS last year.
Link's will buy beef from Grass Run, and produce the snacks at its own plants. "This is a supply chain move," said Troy Link, Jack Link's CEO, noting that grass-fed beef is a limited resource in the U.S.
Jack Link's is the nation's leading beef snack company, its jerky products ubiquitous in convenience stores and other retailers.
Grass Run snacks "are more of a specialty product," Link said.
Jack Link's marketing and sales office is in the North Loop, employing about 150 people. Later this year, the company plans to move to Mayo Clinic Square, formerly known as Block E, where it expects to double its Minneapolis employee count.
Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003
The Minneapolis-based company also named Linda Findley, most recently at Blue Apron, to succeed Shelly Ibach as CEO.
