Cuatrecasas counsels Grupo Costa on La Alegría Riojana acquisition

Cuatrecasas has advised Grupo Costa on acquiring La Alegría Riojana, increasing its presence in the processed meat market

La Alegría Riojana, which specialises in the manufacture of high-quality sausages and marinated meats, fits perfectly into the Grupo Costa’s conglomerate, which is present in all links of the pig production chain, as well as in the chicken and turkey markets.

La Alegría Riojana, based in Camprovín (La Rioja), is very well positioned in the European and Latin American markets, with a turnover of €19 million in 2020.

Grupo Costa thus increases its current range of processed meat products, in which it already had a strong presence under the brands Casademont, Villar, La Nuncia and Roler, among others, and consolidates its position as one of the largest meat groups in Spain, with more than 4,700 employees and an aggregate turnover of €1,500 million in 2020. The current management team and the 47 employees of La Alegría Riojana join the staff of Grupo Costa.

“La Alegría Riojana increases our current offer of products derived from Iberian and white pigs with its wide range of cured sausages, loins and cured hams. This brand is very well positioned in the European and Latin American markets and perfectly complements Costa Food Group’s current products in the processed products segment,” said Jorge Costa, CEO of Grupo Costa.

The Aragonese Group, which currently has the third-largest livestock farm in Europe integrated into Piensos Costa, is present in the agri-food, renewable energy, automotive, plant health, hotel and real estate sectors. Within the agri-food sector, where it also has Bodega SOMMOS, it operates in 107 countries through the Costa Food Group meat holding company, which includes the brands Costa Food Meat, Casademont, Ibéricos Costa, Tan ricos, Villar, Aviserrano, Roler and now La Alegría Riojana.

Grupo Costa has been advised by Cuatrecasas Zaragoza office team led by partner Antonio García (pictured left), together with principal associate Mara Tomás (pictured top centre), and lawyers Carolina Artigot (pictured top right) and Andrea Morales (pictured bottom right).