LITTLE ROCK — A Fort Smith-based poultry company has been purchased by a Mexican food processor in a deal announced Friday.
O.K. Industries, which was founded in Fort Smith in 1933, was acquired by Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V., Mexico's leading producer and processor of poultry and other food products. Terms of the deal were not immediately released.
Rodolfo Ramos, Bachoco's chief executive officer, said the move marks the company's first foray into the U.S. poultry market.
"Bachoco will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of O.K.'s experienced management team, a key reason behind their industry leadership," he said in a news release. "This will also enable Bachoco to enhance its product offering and regional footprint, while achieving a better understanding of the U.S. chicken market."
O.K. Industries reportedly processes 2.5 million chickens per week with total annual sales of around $600 million.
The release said O.K. Industries would continue to operate under that name and that its 4,000 local workers would be integrated into the new company.