– Acquisition to expand food distribution into Northeast, add new relationships with major retailers
– Founder Ariane Daguin to remain with Fortune
BENSENVILLE, Ill. & UNION, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fortune International, LLC, the country’s leading processor, distributor and importer of quality seafood, meats, and gourmet products, today announced the acquisition of D’Artagnan, Inc., a leader in popularizing the sustainable “farm to table” movement over last 35 years and purveyor of free-range meat and all-natural organic poultry, game, foie gras, mushrooms and truffles to the United States’ most renowned restaurants and retailers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Fortune’s acquisition of D’Artagnan as a preferred supplier of food and gourmet products expands the Company’s geographic footprint into D’Artagnan’s markets, as well as adds new relationships with leading retailers. In addition, the acquisition provides an opportunity for Fortune to offer new products to consumers directly as part of D’Artagnan’s successful and fast-growing e-commerce business.
Founded in 1985 by Ariane Daguin, D’Artagnan has been redefining the meat industry, distributing organic, antibiotic and hormone-free meats many years ahead of consumer demand for “clean label” and farm-to-table offerings. Since its inception, D’Artagnan has grown from a one-truck and two-employee business to a nationally recognized food brand by developing a network of independent farmers and ranchers that abide by the strictest standards to deliver the highest quality, best tasting, conscientiously raised meat possible. Headquartered in Union, New Jersey, the company has approximately 260 employees and over 80 trucks working from five primary operations located in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas.
Today, D’Artagnan remains dedicated to putting only the finest meats on the tables of American gastronomes and is widely recognized for its superior quality and uncompromising standards. The top chefs and restauranteurs in America have relied on D’Artagnan for their daily deliveries, including Grant Achatz, Daniel Boulud, David Chang, Barbara Lynch, Danny Meyer, and the late Anthony Bourdain, who named his daughter Ariane in tribute to his friend. Recognized as a leader in sustainable and humane production practices, Ariane was inducted into James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in Food & Beverage” in 1994, received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Bon Appetit Magazine in 2005, and awarded “Forbes Small Giants” in 2018.
Ariane will remain with D’Artagnan, continuing her life’s work as a devoted advocate for natural, sustainable, and humane production, at the forefront of America’s organic movement as well as continue to develop The D’Artagnan Farms Foundation. D’Artagnan will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Fortune Fish & Gourmet.
“We are excited to welcome Ariane and her talented team to our platform as the preferred supplier to top restaurants and retailers in the U.S.,” said Sean J. O’Scannlain, Fortune’s President and CEO. “In joining together, we combine Fortune’s strength in fresh seafood with D’Artagnan’s in free-range meat, offering customers their protein needs across virtually any market. We also look forward to building upon D’Artagnan’s successful direct-to-consumer e-commerce services. Ariane and her team have created a spectacular business and a best-in-class brand in our industry, and we are honored she has elected to join our growing Fortune family.”
Ariane Daguin, founder, owner, and CEO of D’Artagnan, commented, “I am excited to partner with and join Fortune, which is a company as committed to its customers and uncompromising service as we have always been. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings, 38 years ago. I am extremely excited for D’Artagnan’s future and want to thank our customers and vendors for their support through all these years.”
D’Artagnan represents Fortune International’s 13th transaction since launching its acquisition strategy in 2012, which has accelerated since entering into a partnership in 2020 with Investcorp, a leading global alternative asset manager. Fortune’s previous acquisitions include: JDY Gourmet (2012); Chef Martin Old World Butcher Shop (2014); Coastal Seafoods (2016); Morey’s Seafood International of Missouri, Classic Provisions Inc., and Jubilee Seafoods (2019); Seattle Fish of Missouri (2020), EuroGourmet, and Neesvig’s (2020); and C.C.T. Logistics, Inc., Meat Processors Inc., and Ocean Harvest Wholesale (2021).
Fortune International, LLC
Fortune International, LLC, is the parent operating company of Fortune Fish & Gourmet, a full-service processor and distributor providing white-tablecloth restaurants, private clubs, elegant hotels and gourmet retail stores with the finest quality fresh, live, and frozen seafood and gourmet foods. The company handles more than 10,000 seafood and gourmet products daily, selected to exceed the high standards embraced by its quality focused customer base. Fortune currently services more than 10,000 customers throughout the Central and Southeastern United States with a fleet of refrigerated vehicles and nationally through FedEx and common carriers. For more information, please visit www.fortunefishco.net.
