A total of £1.3 million will be reinvested in the beef, lamb and pork sectors after the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) sold its carcase classification arm.
Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Limited (MLCSL) has been acquired by Hallmark Veterinary Compliance Services, purchased through parent company Vorenta Ltd.
The deal was approved by Farming Minister George Eustice and completed on November 30.
The move was first announced in March and, since then, there has been a consultation with industry.
An oversight committee will now to be established to ensure "independence and value for money" in the services at abattoirs across the country, AHDB said.
Jane King, AHDB Chief Executive, said: “We believe this move will safeguard the long-term future of independent, manual, carcase classification services in Great Britain.
“A lot of hard work has gone into this sale from a lot of people and we are pleased we have finally crossed the finishing line.
“Credit should go to all involved, particularly those who work for MLCSL, and we wish HallMark all the best as they take MLCSL into a new chapter.”
'Business as usual'
In total, 103 staff will be affected by the move but no job losses are expected. There will be no disruption in services for customers with “business as usual” being maintained as part of the deal.
David Peace, Chairman of Hallmark, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the acquisition of MLCSL, which we believe fits very well with our current operations, to the mutual benefit of both businesses’ future development.
“MLCSL’s key strengths are its very highly experienced and loyal staff and managers, and we’re very excited about this opportunity to work together, building on MLCSL’s well-acknowledged skills, its powerful brand and expanding its services and reach.”
The move to the private sector will open up opportunities for greater efficiencies and synergies that would not be possible under the current public ownership model and secure the future of the business, AHDB said.
A year-long process was undertaken to identify suitable companies that met certain criteria, including value for money, track record of delivering independent services and commitment to the long term future of the business.
