Rich Products Corporation, Buffalo, N.Y., said it sold a local subsidiary, Battistoni Italian Specialty Meatsto Providential Foods, another Buffalo company owned by Eric Naber. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Rich’s said it purchased the business from the Battistoni family in 2005.
“As we continue to drive focus and resources toward our core strategic and market priorities, we felt the timing was right to transition the business over to a new party who is fully dedicated to the Italian specialty meat category,” said Dwight Gram, a Rich’s spokesperson. “But we were very definitive about our desire to maintain the business’s local production facility and workforce. So it was important for us to find the right partner. Eric Naber and Providential Foods is the perfect fit.”
Gram said Naber has 20-plus years of food industry experience, a strong background in the specialty meats industry, and long-term business relationships conducive to building additional volume.
“I want to commend the Rich Family for their commitment to keeping the Battistoni plant and business in Buffalo,” said Naber. “There were many other options, but they did what was best for our community.”
Alvino Battistoni will lead the business’s transition over to Providential, which is expected to take 30 days. After the transition, Battistoni will continue his responsibilities in new business development with Rich’s strategic customers.
“My family is very pleased that the business my grandfather founded will continue to operate in Buffalo and grow under Eric Naber’s leadership,” said Battistoni.
“Providential Foods is committed to leveraging the excellent reputation of the Battistoni business by continuing to produce and sell high quality products with great service to our customers,” said Naber. “We are also committed to the Buffalo area and will continue to build upon Rich’s efforts to grow the business from our home base here in Buffalo.”
