Columbus Foods, Harris Ranch to expand deli meat production in US

US-based Columbus Foods, a portfolio company of Arbor Investments, has entered into a partnership with Harris Ranch Beef to expand its deli meat production capabilities.

The development follows Columbus’ $28m investment in its Bayfront facility in May 2014, to increase manufacturing capacity for its slow-cured salame.

The two manufacturers spent around a year planning, testing and duplicating Columbus’ deli meat recipes within the new facility to ensure consistency and quality during the transition.

As part of the new partnership, both firms have invested around $10m to ensure the implementation of a deli meat processing facility to support the venture.

The current layout has been designed for an initial volume production of about 25 million pounds of deli meat cooking and processing.

The facility can be expanded to produce another 50 million pounds of capacity with minimal disruption to operations.

Harris Ranch Beef Company chairman and CEO David Wood said that both companies are dedicated to producing the highest-quality products with the utmost dedication to food safety.

"This is a good fit for both of our companies – and the synergies between Harris Ranch and Columbus will ensure a seamless production transition," Wood added.

Columbus Foods CEO and president Timothy Fallon said that Columbus’ deli cooking facility in south San Francisco is landlocked and so the company needed a solution to provide for capacity expansion on its branded deli meat growth.

"By partnering with Harris Ranch we’re well-positioned to continue to provide the quality and taste that consumers and our retail customers expect from Columbus and meet continued growth in the coming years," Fallon added.

Based in California, Harris Ranch has been involved in the production of meats for more than 50 years, while Columbus Foods produces Italian-style dry cured salame and premium deli meats under the Columbus brand.