Effective immediately, the marketing and distribution of H&N commercial egg layer varieties in the U.S. will be undertaken by H&N North America LLC, a newly formed joint venture between H&N International GmbH and Nelson Poultry Farms Inc. The new joint venture with Nelson Poultry Farms will continue to build on the impressive growth of sales of H&N layers in the U.S., H&N said.

H&N North America LLC will be based in Manhattan, Kan. Jim Cook and Claude Leroux will continue to be the sales and service representatives for H&N products by transferring from Centurion to the new company.

H&N International GmbH is a leading layer primary breeder headquartered in Germany and a subsidiary of EW Group GmbH.

Nelson Poultry Farms Inc., also based in Manhattan, is an established chick and pullet business with a long, successful association with H&N layer varieties.

H&N International GmbH was previously working with Centurion Poultry Inc., but the two companies mutually agreed to terminate the Distribution Agreement for H&N Nick Chick for the U.S. market. Centurion Poultry, based in Lexington, Ga., will continue marketing the Tetra brand of layers in collaboration with its subsidiary, Tetra Americana LLC.