990259 IBP Again Considers Launching Meat Brands

Naples, FL - IBP Inc. may be the world's largest fresh meat processor, but you won't find its name in grocery stores -- at least for now.

The Dakota City, NE-based meat processor is in the early stages of developing its own brands for retail markets, although they may not carry the IBP name, Larry Shipley, chief financial officer, said in an interview during an analysts' meeting in Naples, Fla.

"We've started to assemble the group and bring in the people who are going to be responsible for developing a branded product," Shipley said.

For the last few years, IBP has expanded its value-added line of processed meats and "case-ready" products that arrive at grocery stores ready to be labeled and sold at the meat counter.

Still, the company has never had a true "name brand," so marketing is a relatively new concept, Shipley said.

"It will be a slow process, but I think (branded meat) is a huge opportunity for IBP going forward," he said.

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