Integrated organic meat producer, Hewitt Foods, has entered into an agreement to acquire family-owned beef company, Nolan Meats, with the transaction expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
Hewitt is a global food producer, officially founded in 1987 as the Hewitt Cattle Company, and has since grown to over 200,000 livestock across 5.6 million acres of Australia. The company claims to have the largest integrated supply chain of certified organic meat, from livestock production to branded retail-ready products that include Cleaver’s Organic grass-fed beef and lamb, Borrowdale Pork, and Warilba organic lamb.
Nolan Meats started out as a small retail butchery business in Gympie in 1958, and now produces grain-fed beef for delivery to retailers, further processors, wholesalers and international markets. The business is vertically integrated throughout the beef chain from breeding to feed lotting, processing, distribution and wholesaling.
The shareholders of Nolan Meats have now entered into an agreement to sell the company to Hewitt, with the transaction expected to be completed in the second half of 2026. The change of ownership is subject to customary conditions precedent, including applicable regulatory approvals. Nolan Meats stated the company will be operating on a “business as usual” basis in the meantime.
Following the transfer of ownership, operations will continue at the existing facility in Queensland, aiming to provide continuity for all employees, customers, and suppliers.
The Nolan Meats plant is export accredited and has the capabilities to process over 1100 cattle per day. Beef products from the abattoir are currently distributed around Australia and exported overseas to Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Middle East, Taiwan, USA and other eligible markets.
The feedlot operation turn-off over 100,000 head per year, and supplies over 80 per cent of cattle processed through the abattoir. This includes a company owned feedlot and three custom feeding sites.
