Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA announced Nov. 7 that it has acquired Cargill’s animal nutrition business in Switzerland. Cargill, a leader in animal nutrition in Europe, said it remains committed to that market, offering a range of compound feed, premixes, feed additives, supply chain and risk management solutions as well as software tools. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Cargill is a leading player in the Swiss market for animal feed, with production sites in Lucens, Gossau and Kaiseraugst. The company produces premix as well as complete feed for major species such as poultry, swine and cattle. The product offering in Switzerland includes specialty feed for pets, horses, zoo animals and medicated feed.

Cargill's Switzerland business employs about 250 people, who will be transitioned under existing contracts, and operates three well-equipped, state-of-the-art animal feed production sites across the country, among them a new facility constructed in 2016 in Lucens.

In the upcoming months, Aurelius' operational experts will support management in executing a carve-out from Cargill to ensure minimal disruption to the company’s Swiss-based animal nutrition business, thus helping management and employees maintain their focus on customers.

“We have been able to again successfully establish Aurelius as the preferred partner in a complex carve-out of a non-core business,” said Dr. Dirk Markus, chairman of the executive board of Aurelius Equity Opportunities, who added that “2017 continues to be a very busy year for us. We anticipate further transactions until year-end.”

Phil Graham, group director of Cargill, said, “We are confident in Aurelius ’s ability to take over ownership and continue delivering in the best long-term interest of both our customers and employees. Cargill remains committed to the European and, more specifically, the Swiss market, where we have been active since 1956.”