Baldor Specialty Foods Acquires Golden Packing
Baldor Specialty Foods is expanding its portfolio. The Bronx, N.Y.-based food distributor has acquired premium meat company Golden Packing, which was founded nearly a century ago and currently serves more than 150 customers in the Northeast.
Through this deal, Baldor will widen its offerings of meat products. The company reported that it is taking over the Hunts Point Cooperative Market business under a new name, Golden Meat Co.
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Now vertically integrated, Bador will combine the sourcing of premium meats with butchering. The distributor’s customers can choose from a bigger selection of premium portioned meats and take advantage of consolidated product deliveries.
“For decades, our customers have trusted us for high-quality fresh food. Adding meat processing has been a part of our plan since we sold our first piece of protein,” said TJ Murphy, Baldor’s owner and CEO. “With veteran meat guru Mark Pastore on the team, I knew it was the right time to move forward in the search for a partner. With Baldor’s sourcing, procurement, and delivery capabilities paired with Golden’s cutting and dry aging expertise, we will be scaling a cut shop that meets our customers’ growing needs around meat and bringing wheels to the great business Golden has already created.”
According to Baldor, the company is retaining the founders and staff of Golden Packing. As part of the deal, Pastore will serve as VP of business development at Baldor and work to increase Golden Meat Co.'s visibility on the East Coast. Additionally, Kevin Lindgren, previously director of protein merchandising at Baldor, was named director of Golden Meat Co., focusing on operations and integration, while John Winters DiMarco was tapped as protein business development manager and Daniel Nguyen is now a senior protein supply planner.
“I’ve always loved Baldor’s focus on high-end products and service, and I was eager to build a meat brand here at that same level, with a premium portioned-steak program,” remarked Pastore. “TJ and I immediately clicked, and when we walked into Golden for the first time, and saw their precision and service, we knew they were the right partners for us.”
Baldor’s portfolio includes more than 6,000 items across produce, grocery, bakery, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish. The company distributes items to 14,000-plus retail, foodservice and corporate accounts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
