US-based fresh produce and speciality foods provider Baldor Specialty Foods has acquired Golden Packing, a premium meat company, to enhance its meat offerings.
The strategic acquisition allows Baldor to integrate meat processing by combining its high-end sourcing with expert butchering.
Baldor will operate as Golden Meat Co. at the Hunts Point Cooperative Market, providing an expanded selection of centre-of-plate proteins to its over 14,000 customers.
The integration aims to maintain the brand’s reputation for excellent service and strong logistics while offering chefs both labour savings and consolidated product deliveries.
Baldor’s extended product range will now include premium, portioned meats.
Baldor Specialty Foods owner and CEO TJ Murphy said: “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.
“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 ageing 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.”
To support the growing protein category, Baldor has strengthened its team with key hires.
The company appointed former president of Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, Mark Pastore, as vice president of business development for Golden Meat Co.
Kevin Lindgren, previously Baldor’s director of protein merchandising, will now serve as Director of Golden Meat, focusing on operations and integration.
Baldor has also welcomed John Winters DiMarco as protein business development manager and Daniel Nguyen as senior protein supply planner.
Golden Meat Co.’s sales will be processed through Baldor platforms, with delivery handled by the company’s existing trucking operations.
Previous Golden Packing customers will get access to Baldor’s extensive product range.
Mark Pastore said: “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.
“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.”
David Bernstein said: “Even with how large Baldor is, it doesn’t feel like we are partnering with a corporation, it feels like a family. We have found a like-minded organisation that is as committed to their customers as we are.
“This is a great day for our business, and we are excited to see Golden’s business accelerate as part of Baldor, with the opportunity to sell our meat up and down the Eastern Seaboard.”
Golden Meat Co. will offer a comprehensive line of meats, including dry-aged and fresh options, prime and high-choice, all custom-cut and portioned to meet customers’ needs.
It will continue to expand vendor partnerships, focusing on connecting customers with products from farms that prioritise flavour and humane animal raising.
The new, combined company has officially joined Baldor’s inventory, which includes over 6,000 items across produce, grocery, bakery, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish.
Baldor Specialty Foods chief revenue officer Benjamin Walker said: “Baldor’s investment in Golden was inspired by our customers, hearing about the challenges caused by labour shortages and the difficulties getting high-quality centre-of-plate ingredients.
“It’s our goal to make our customers’ lives easier. And that means being able to deliver everything they need to succeed, from produce to dairy to grocery to the best meat in the world, sourced from premium Baldor partners, like DemKota, Joyce Farms and Niman Ranch, all on a single delivery.”
