LANSING, Ill. – Land O’Frost has signed an agreement to buy West Point, Neb.-based Wimmer’s Meats, a processor of sausages and hot dogs. Land O’Frost will acquire all of Wimmer’s assets, including its entire brand portfolio, which includes the Wimmer’s, Basset’s, Fairbury and Ambassador brands, and its West Point, Neb., processing facility.

The transaction is expected to close before the end of January. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are very excited to welcome Wimmer’s to the Land O’Frost family,” said David VanEekeren, president and CEO of Land O’ Frost. “The acquisition of Wimmer’s will open new markets for Land O’Frost and help us continue to grow our company. Wimmer’s products, facilities and expertise complement our offerings rather well and will help us to grow the combined company over the years to come.”

Land O’ Frost calls itself the fastest-growing brand in the pre-sliced, lunch meat category. Adding Wimmer’s to Land O’Frost’s portfolio will allow it to compete in another category within the meat industry.

“Our decision to join the Land O’ Frost family was about how we can best serve our customers, our employees, our community and our brand,” said Dave Wimmer, chairman and CEO of Wimmer’s Meats. “We strongly believe this strategic decision will mean a bright future for all four [brands].”

Acquiring Wimmer's is a milestone for Land O'Frost because it represents the company’s first such transaction in more than 25 years, a company spokesman told MEATPOULTRY.com. This deal provides evidence of the company’s commitment to its long-term strategic plan put in place in 2008, he added.

“Our strategic plan calls for the company to grow significantly through organic growth, product innovation and through strategic acquisition,” he said. “In recent years, we have successfully grown the company through organic growth and by introducing new and innovative products to the marketplace. The addition of Wimmer's now represents clear-cut evidence of how we intend to also grow the company through acquisition.”

Land O'Frost processes sliced packaged beef, chicken, turkey and ham luncheon meats. Company products include Land O'Frost Premium One Pound, the top-selling deli pouch in the US.; Land O'Frost DeliShaved; and its ultra-premium line, Land O'Frost Bistro Favorites. The Land O'Frost brand can be found in the supermarkets and mass merchandisers that account for nearly 90 percent of the retail sales in the country, as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and other US Territories. It also makes specialty meat products sold to restaurants and major food manufacturers. The company operates three production facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky., and Searcy, Ark.

Wimmer's products are sold in supermarkets in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota.