Plukon Food Group
A Dutch poultry-processing group supplying fresh and frozen poultry, convenience foods, and private-label products across Europe.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Plukon Food Group is a Dutch, internationally operating food company focused primarily on poultry processing and the manufacture and sale of poultry-based foods. Its activities include the slaughter and processing of chickens and other poultry, the production of fresh and frozen meat, convenience-food solutions, and products sold under both proprietary brands and retailer private labels. The group operates across a number of European markets and is organized around Bankiva B.V., headquartered in Wezep in the Netherlands. The company traces its origins to the 1978 merger of Friki, a poultry brand established in 1964, and the poultry company Bekebrede of Barneveld. The name Plukon derives from “Pluimvee Kombinatie Nederland,” referring to the Dutch poultry combination formed by the merger. Over time, Plukon developed from a Dutch poultry business into a multinational processing group through organic expansion and acquisitions. Its 2011 combination with the German poultry company Stolle was an important step in strengthening its German activities. From 2015 onward, the German EW Group became a shareholder, and Plukon subsequently expanded through acquisitions including the French poultry producer DUC, the Spanish poultry producer VMR, and the German hatchery Optibrut. Plukon’s business is concentrated in poultry meat and related food products. Its portfolio includes chicken and turkey products, fresh and frozen poultry, processed and convenience foods, food-service products, and private-label ranges for retailers. In Germany, products have been marketed under names including Friki, Pingo, Stolle, Maiski, and FairMast, alongside retailer brands. The group also depends on an integrated poultry supply chain, including day-old Cobb hybrid chicks supplied by the WIMEX Group for chicken production. By 2019, Plukon was described as the second-largest chicken processor in the European Union and the sixteenth-largest worldwide by slaughter volume, processing approximately 426 million chickens that year. Its operating network includes approximately 30 branches in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belgium, France, and Spain, with nearly 9,000 employees and, according to the cited reference, a weekly slaughter capacity of around nine million chickens. The group’s main sales regions are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. In Germany, it was described as one of the country’s larger poultry companies, with five facilities and approximately 1,400 employees as of 2019. Ownership is shared by the German EW Group, the Dutch feed producer De Heus, and directors associated with Peter Poortinga. According to the cited reference, the director group collectively holds 25 percent of the shares. The supervisory board has included chairman Jürgen Steinemann and Erich Wesjohann. Plukon remains an active privately held European food group, although the available reference material does not establish a current corporate website, a public listing, or a complete current executive list.
History
Plukon Food Group originated in the Dutch poultry sector. In 1964, the Friki brand was established, creating a foundation for a later poultry-processing business. In 1978, Friki merged with Bekebrede, a poultry company based in Barneveld. The resulting organization adopted the name Plukon, an acronym derived from “Pluimvee Kombinatie Nederland.” For many years, Plukon’s activities centered on poultry production and processing in the Netherlands. The company subsequently expanded its industrial and commercial footprint in neighboring European markets. A significant step came in 2011, when the German poultry company Stolle was merged into the Plukon group. This strengthened Plukon’s position in Germany, where the group later operated several facilities and sold poultry products under brands such as Friki, Pingo, Stolle, Maiski, and FairMast, as well as under retailer private labels. In 2015, the German EW Group became a shareholder. The ownership structure described in the reference material also includes the Dutch feed producer De Heus and directors associated with Peter Poortinga, with the directors collectively holding 25 percent of the shares. Plukon continued its international growth through acquisitions. These included the French poultry producer DUC, the Spanish poultry producer VMR, and the German hatchery Optibrut. The acquisitions broadened the group’s geographic reach and reinforced its position across poultry processing and upstream production activities. Plukon’s operating network has included approximately 30 branches in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belgium, France, and Spain. Its commercial markets extend beyond its production countries, particularly into the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company supplies fresh and frozen poultry, processed products, convenience foods, food-service ranges, and private-label products. Its supply chain also incorporates day-old Cobb hybrid chicks supplied by WIMEX Group for chicken-fattening operations. The group became one of Europe’s largest poultry processors. In 2019, it was described as the second-largest chicken processor in the European Union and the sixteenth-largest worldwide, based on a slaughter volume of approximately 426 million chickens. The same reference material describes a weekly slaughter capacity of around nine million chickens and a workforce of nearly 9,000 people. In Germany, Plukon was described as the country’s fifth-largest poultry company in 2019, employing approximately 1,400 people across five facilities. The cited reference also reported group sales above €3.0 billion for 2022. The company has also faced local opposition at its Gudensberg slaughterhouse in Germany. Demonstrations in 2014 and 2015 focused on a planned facility expansion. In 2021, a trade-union demonstration raised concerns about working conditions, while environmental activists later blocked access roads in a civil-disobedience action. The activists linked their demands to animal welfare and possible coronavirus transmission risks. These events illustrate the labor, environmental, animal-welfare, and public-health issues that can accompany large-scale poultry processing. Plukon is organized around Bankiva B.V., headquartered in Wezep. The supervisory board has included Jürgen Steinemann as chairman and Erich Wesjohann as a member. The available reference material does not provide a complete current management list or establish a public stock-market listing. Plukon remains an active privately held European poultry and convenience-food group.
- 2022
Reported sales exceeded €3 billion
[1]The cited reference reported group sales above €3.0 billion for 2022.
- 2019
Major European poultry processor
[1]Plukon was described as the European Union’s second-largest chicken processor and the world’s sixteenth-largest, with slaughter volume of about 426 million chickens.
- 2015
EW Group becomes shareholder
[1]EW Group acquired a shareholding in Plukon, adding a major German poultry-industry shareholder to the ownership structure.
- 2011
Stolle joins the group
[1]German poultry company Stolle was merged into Plukon.
- 1978
Plukon created through merger
[1]Friki merged with Bekebrede of Barneveld, forming Plukon, a name based on the Dutch phrase for a poultry combination.
- 1964
Friki established
[1]The Friki poultry brand was established, later becoming one of the foundations of Plukon’s corporate history.
Products and positioning
A large European poultry processor and integrated poultry-food supplier serving retail, food service, and private-label customers.
Poultry meat
Fresh poultry
Plukon processes and supplies fresh chicken and other poultry products for retail, food-service, and private-label customers. These products form the core of the group’s European poultry business and are sold through markets including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
Poultry meat
Frozen poultry
The group markets frozen poultry alongside fresh products. Frozen formats support retail and food-service distribution and are sold under Plukon-associated brands and customer private labels.
Convenience food
Processed and convenience foods
Plukon produces processed poultry and convenience-food solutions designed for consumers, retailers, and professional food-service customers. The available sources identify convenience foods as a major activity but do not provide a complete product-by-product catalog.
Poultry brand · 1964
Friki
Friki is a poultry brand with roots dating to 1964. It became part of the corporate history of Plukon through the 1978 merger that created the group and has been used for poultry products in Germany.
Poultry brands
Pingo, Stolle, Maiski, and FairMast
These names have been used in Germany for Plukon poultry products, alongside fresh and frozen ranges and retailer private labels. The available reference does not specify the complete assortment or current status of each individual brand.
Controversies
2021
Labor protest at Gudensberg
The Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten trade union demonstrated in Gudensberg over working conditions for slaughterhouse employees.
2021
Environmental blockade of Gudensberg plant
Environmental activists blocked access roads to the Gudensberg poultry slaughterhouse, citing animal welfare and coronavirus infection concerns.
2015
Continued Gudensberg protests
A further demonstration opposed the expansion of the Gudensberg poultry facility.
2014
Opposition to Gudensberg facility expansion
Several hundred people protested against a planned expansion of Plukon’s slaughterhouse in Gudensberg, Germany.
Brand decisions
2015
Add EW Group as shareholderM&ABackground
Plukon’s ownership structure was expanded through the entry of a major German poultry-industry company.
Action taken
EW Group became a shareholder of Plukon.
Aftermath
EW Group became one of the principal shareholders alongside De Heus and directors associated with Peter Poortinga.
2011
Combine with StolleM&ABackground
Plukon pursued expansion in Germany’s poultry market.
Action taken
German poultry company Stolle was merged into Plukon.
Aftermath
The transaction increased Plukon’s German operating and brand presence.
1978
Merge Friki with BekebredeM&ABackground
The Dutch poultry brand Friki and Bekebrede were combined to create a larger poultry organization.
Action taken
The merged business adopted the Plukon name.
Aftermath
The merger established the corporate group that later expanded throughout Europe.
Recent events
- 2015
EW Group became a Plukon shareholder[1]
M&A
German poultry group EW Group acquired a shareholding in Plukon.
- 2011
Stolle merged into the Plukon group[1]
M&A
The German poultry company Stolle became part of Plukon, expanding the group’s German poultry-processing activities.
- 1978
Plukon formed through the merger of Friki and Bekebrede[1]
M&A
The poultry brand Friki and the poultry company Bekebrede merged to create Plukon, whose name referred to a Dutch poultry combination.
Sources1 sources
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