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Local business largest private company in the region

November 29, 2011  |  West Chester top employers

 

Local business largest private company in region

By Chelsey Levingston, Staff Writer Updated 6:47 PM Monday, November 28, 2011

Butler County is now home to the largest privately owned business in the Cincinnati region, according to the Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 list.

AdvancePierre is one of four Butler County companies to make the top 20 largest privately owned businesses. The other local companies high in the list are Contech Construction of West Chester Twp. (9); Baker Concrete Construction in Monroe (10); and Cohen Brothers Inc. of Middletown (17).

AdvancePierre Foods of West Chester Twp., a meat food production company, grew to $1.4 billion in revenues in 2010, making its first appearance on the top 100 list, according to Deloitte Cincinnati USA. AdvancePierre’s growth is thanks to an acquisition last year that about doubled the size of the company.

“We sort of came out of nowhere and came out on top,” said Bill Toler, AdvancePierre chief executive officer.

But he said the company is proud and its success is rooted in values of taking care of customers and treating employees with respect.

“I think it’s important because a lot of times job growth really comes from smaller organizations than it does larger organizations,” Toler said.

In October of last year, Pierre merged with Advance Food Company and Advance Brands of Oklahoma, growing to a company with 11 locations. In June of this year another acquisition was made of Barber Foods in Maine, a maker of stuffed chicken, according to the company.

The West Chester Twp. facility is still headquarters and a meat production plant with approximately 800 employees, according to the company. AdvancePierre makes fully cooked frozen meat products that consumers buy at grocery stores, cafeterias and vending machines.

“We think an acquisition is an important part of our growth strategy,” Toler said.

In addition, so is innovation and development of new products, and organic growth from finding new customers, he said.

Columbia Sussex Corp. of Crestview Hills, Ky., a hotel developer and operator, was number one last year. Columbia dropped to the eighth spot this year based on 2010 revenues of $638 million, according to the list.

Butler and Warren county companies that are also in the top 100 include: Totes Isotoner of West Chester Twp. (#25); G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Inc. of Deerfield Twp. (#24); Intelligrated of Mason (#26); Hightowers Petroleum (#50) and West Chester Holdings of Monroe (#65).