Blount Fine Foods on Thursday announced that it acquired Neco Foods, a Lantana, Fla.-based producer of seafood soups and chowders. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The purchase gives the Warren, R.I..-based company — one of the United States’ leading producers of seafood soups, chowders and bisques — a production and distribution presence in the U.S. Southeast.
“We have added production and distribution in an important part of the country with this acquisition,” said Todd Blount, the company’s president. “We look forward to investing into Neco’s infrastructure and to growing their customer’s business.”
In addition to seafood soups and chowders, Neco produces seafood-based appetizers, dips, spreads and stuffing as well as finishing butters, sauces and crab cakes.
According to Blount, the Neco management team will remain in place, and there are no immediate plans no change the company’s products. Blount does, however, plan to change the name of the company to Neco Fine Foods, which will operate as a division of Blount.
“The more we worked through our due diligence on Neco Foods, the more we realized we were acquiring a company with a commitment to quality across R&D, production and customer collaboration,” explained Blount. “We are bringing on a great team that is working toward a vision already aligned with Blount Fine Foods, so we are very pleased with this acquisition.”
“We have been acquired by Blount, but in many ways it feels like a merger,” added John McGeough Jr., Neco’s head of sales. “Todd and his team want us to keep doing what we do best, which is making great products for customers whom we always treat like partners.”
Founded in 1946, Blount is a family-owned company, producing more than 350 proprietary soup recipes, including 75 varieties of clam chowder alone. Its product lines include fresh and frozen soups for foodservice and retail as well as dips and salads, such as lobster salad and chicken salad. Blount’s production facility is located in Fall River, Mass.
