HKFoods to keep bacon plant in Poland despite earlier sale review

POLAND – HKFoods has announced that it will retain ownership of its bacon production plant in Swinoujście, Poland, walking back from earlier discussions about a possible sale.

The meat processor had disclosed in April that it was evaluating the future of the Polish site, which could have involved selling the facility as part of a wider review of its business structure.

In a statement released through a stock exchange filing on Wednesday (3 July), HKFoods said the group will continue operating under its current structure.

The Swinoujście facility, which employs around 300 people, is managed by the company’s Polish subsidiary.

The firm reaffirmed projections made in April that its operations in Poland are expected to generate net sales of approximately US$82.3 million in 2025.

HKFoods chief executive Juha Ruohola said the unit has remained profitable and has seen continued investment, including upgrades to its slicing and packaging line this year.

He added that during the first half of 2025, the company has maintained investments to enhance the added value of its Polish operations and ongoing property development projects.

With the plant’s future confirmed, the company plans to concentrate on improving its main business operations in Finland and Poland.

The focus includes raising operational efficiency and strengthening financial performance through commercial and strategic efforts.

Restructuring and site closures

HKFoods has been restructuring over the past few years to improve financial stability, which has included divesting several regional businesses.

The company offloaded its Swedish unit in January 2024 to local group Lantmännen and finalised the sale of its Danish subsidiary to Plukon Food Group of the Netherlands in May 2023 for US$48.8 million.

It had earlier exited the Baltic market as part of this strategic shift.

The company’s full-year 2024 financial report showed net sales from continuing operations of US$1.17 billion, a 7.4% increase compared to the previous year.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by nearly 25% to US$65.9 million, and the company cut its net loss to US$2 million from US$20.1 million in 2023.

In its most recent quarterly report, HKFoods posted a profit of US$935,000 for the three months ending 31 March, reversing a US$4.4 million loss from the same period in 2024.

Quarterly sales grew by 2.2% to US$273.2 million, while EBITDA climbed 36% to US$14.1 million.

Separately, in March this year, HKFoods closed its Paimio slaughterhouse in Finland due to a decline in cattle numbers, transferring operations to third-party provider Liha Hietanen in Sastamala.

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