Teys Naracoorte facility, which currently employs 475 workers, will not experience any major changes to staffing levels following its recent acquisition by American food and protein industry giant Cargill.

A joint spokesperson for Teys and Cargill confirmed to The [Naracoorte] News that the acquisition will have no “significant impact on roles” at the Naracoorte site, addressing concerns about potential workforce changes.

“Together, the Teys family and Cargill have built a strong legacy, and Cargill remains committed to ensuring continuity and stability for Teys employees,” the spokesperson said.

“Cargill recognises that it is the people who have made Teys a great place to work and will honour our commitment to providing satisfying and meaningful career paths in Australian agriculture.

“We do not anticipate any significant impact on roles,” the spokesperson said.

Teys Investments Pty Ltd and Cargill announced on June 5 that a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill had agreed to purchase all of the issued share capital of Teys Investments from the Teys family shareholders.

As a result, Cargill will increase its ownership stake to 100 percent of Teys Australia and Teys USA (Teys), two of the primary operating companies that are currently jointly owned by Teys and Cargill.

“With a diversified family shareholder base, the Teys family had decided it was the appropriate time to transfer the family’s interest to Cargill, a partner shareholder for the past 14 years and global leader in the food and protein industries,” the companies said.

According to the companies, the transfer of ownership provided continuity for Teys’ people, partners, and producers and would ensure that it continued to serve as a leading provider of healthy, high-quality Australian beef products and a buyer of Australian livestock destined for local and international customers.

“My grandfather started this business more than 75 years ago with his brothers, and the family values of integrity, quality, and honesty have stayed constant as we’ve evolved into the global food brand we are today,” said Teys executive chairman Brad Teys in a statement.

“The Teys family is immensely proud to have grown our business into a premier provider of beef to our customers and Australian families,” Mr Teys said.

“Cargill has been instrumental in our transformation into a world-class food company. We are confident they are the best owners to grow the business into the future.”

Executive vice president and leader of Cargill’s Food Enterprise, Jon Nash, said as a family-owned business, both Cargill and Teys shared the same commitment to nourishing Australia and the rest of the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.

“We are grateful to the Teys family for this opportunity to continue working alongside Australian livestock producers, who are pivotal to the agricultural supply chain, and to assure the delivery of high-quality and nutritious beef to family dinner tables across the country and globe.”

The spokesperson said the transfer of ownership was subject to regulatory approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

“The regulatory process will take some time (potentially 3-4 months).

“Cargill will name a new CEO of Teys in due course and work closely with Brad Teys to ensure a seamless transition,” the spokesperson said.

This article appeared in The Naracoorte News, 18 June 2025.
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