By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – In a deal between two well-known Buffalo-based companies, Rich Products announced Wednesday it is acquiring Battistoni Italian Specialty Meats.
The sale is the result of conversations that began about a year-and-a-half ago. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rich's Chief Operating Officer Bill Gisel says the Battistoni brand name will continue.
"The Battistoni brand is really a name that has developed a great cachet in the marketplace," Gisel said. "We think it's important to develop that brand and exploit its total value."
Battistoni was founded in 1931 at Bison Products. Its line of Italian meats will continue to be manufactured in Buffalo. It will become part of the Rich-SeaPak Group that offers a line of seafood, meatballs and frozen snacks. Gisel said Battistoni's former owners will stay on.
"The plan is to grow the business and to use the reach that Rich Products has in the marketplace to take this great quality product and help the Battistoni operation extend itself to a much broader customer audience," Gisel said.
This week, Rich Products is celebrating its 60th year in business. Company President Robert Rich Junior said the agreement with Battistoni allows the firm to "partner with one that has a similar history of quality products and strong customer relations."