The American JR Simplot is said to be in advanced negotiations with the Belgian potato processor Clarebout, the Belgian newspaper De Tijd reported. The Belgian news site Vilt quotes from an e-mail from Clarebout to the staff in which the company speaks about 'a collaboration with an external partner to also be active on the American market'. In a response to Vilt, Clarebout calls an alliance or takeover 'premature'. It would not be the first time that JR Simplot is orienting itself on the European continent.
Although the company with its headquarters in Boise Idaho is active almost all over the world (North and South America, Asia and Australia), Europe remains a blank spot. It was a while ago, but in 1999 JR Simplot entered into a partnership with the Dutch Farm Frites. With the Simplot-Farm Frites Global Potato Alliance, both companies mainly wanted to exchange information and the shares of Farm Frites remained in the hands of the founder Gerrit de Bruijne. After a few years, the partnership also ended.
Complete chain
For JR Simplot, takeovers and collaborations are nothing new if we look at the history of the company. Name giver and founder of the company John Richard Simplot started his career with the cultivation of potatoes and the breeding and fattening of pigs. Vertical chain integration would become the hallmark, however. That started in 1929 with a potato sorter with which he also started sorting for other farmers.
Almost a hundred years later, JR Simplot is a conglomerate that is active in various branches of sport. In addition to potatoes, various types of vegetables and fruit are also processed and frozen and grains and pasta are sold. Simplot is also still present in the meat sector. From rearing and fattening (with two feedlots) to slaughtering, freezing and distributing beef. In addition, the company is active in the production and trade of fertilizers with various phosphate mines and a nitrogen factory and has its own financing branch, for example. Simplot prides itself on being active in the entire chain, from mine to plate.
JR Simplot Company claims to have 15.000 employees. In 2024, the company had a turnover of $11 billion. The shares are still held by the family. This makes it one of the largest privately owned agribusiness companies.