Contrast 
Accessibility 
History and Corporate Profile
Minerva Foods is one of the South American leaders in the production and sale of fresh beef and its byproducts, as well as live cattle exports, and it also maintains operations in the beef, pork and poultry processing segments. The Company operates 25 slaughterhouses, 10 of which in Brazil, five in Paraguay, three in Uruguay, five in Argentina and two in Colombia, with a combined slaughter capacity of 26,380 head of cattle per day. It also maintains a meat processing plant in Brazil – Minerva Fine Foods and two proteins processing plants located in the cities of Rosário and Pilar, in Argentina which are part of the Swift Argentina band, with capacity to process 162 and 55 ton/day, respectively. The Company exports to more than 100 countries in five continents through fifteen sales offices and operates 14 distribution centers, 9 of which in Brazil, one in Paraguay, two in Chile, one in Colômbia and one in Argentina.
Minerva Foods’ deboning capacity is higher than its slaughter capacity, thereby ensuring flexibility in the production process, allowing it to process its own cattle, as well as carcasses acquired from third parties, thereby maximizing profitability, given that processing is the activity that adds most value to beef.
The Company’s 26 production units, as well as Minerva Fine Foods, are strategically located close to the main exporting ports and domestic markets, as well as its extensive network of cattle suppliers. The map below shows the geographical location of the Company’s industrial units and distribution centers, as well as its live cattle export office in Belém.
| COUNTRY | # OF UNITS | SLAUGHTERING CAPACITY* | % OF SLAUGHTERING CAPACITY |
| Brazil | 10 | 10,980 | 41.94% |
| Paraguay | 5 | 5,400 | 20.63% |
| Argentina | 5 | 5,050 | 19,29% |
| Uruguay | 3 | 3,200 | 12,22% |
| Colombia | 2 | 1,550 | 5,92% |
| Total | 25 | 26,180 | 100.0% |
History
Minerva Foods has been maintaining consistent and sustainable growth throughout the years, and its history highlights its experience in purchasing and transporting cattle and the beginning of its operations in the beef industry.
1957
The Vilela de Queiroz family began raising cattle and providing logistical services to transport cattle from ranches to slaughterhouses;
1992
The Vilela de Queiroz family purchased its first slaughterhouse and processing facility located in the City of Barretos, State of São Paulo (its current headquarters) from Frigorífico Minerva do Brasil S.A. In addition, on March 9, 1992, the Company established Indústria e Comércio de Carnes Minerva Ltda.;
1999
Minerva leased and later acquired a slaughterhouse and processing facility in the City of José Bonifácio, State of São Paulo;
2001
The Company leased a processing facility in the City of Cajamar, State of São Paulo;
2004
Construction of a new slaughterhouse and processing facility in the City of Palmeiras de Goiás, State of Goiás, which Minerva believes is one of the most modern beef processing facilities in Latin America;
2006
Minerva entered into a lease agreement for a slaughterhouse and processing facility in the City of Batayporã, State of Mato Grosso do Sul; and
2007
Minerva began the construction of its plant in the City of Rolim de Moura, State of Rondônia. In April 2007, the Company purchased a plant in the City of Araguaína, State of Tocantins and a plant under construction in the City of Redenção, State of Pará. Moreover, Minerva began building an industrial unit for the production of cooked and frozen meat, in the city of Barretos, in São Paulo state, in a joint venture with the Irish company Dawn Farms Group.
2008
Acquisition of the beef producer Lord Meat, in the state of Goiás, which has a 500 head/day slaughtering capacity, initially raising Minerva´s installed capacity by 10 % . In 6 months, with the expansion of the cold chambers , the plant ´s slaughtering capacity will increase to 750 head/day finally reaching 1,500head/day by mid-2009. The total forecast investment in acquisition and expansion plans is estimated at R $60 million. Acquisition of the beef producer Friasa in Paraguay, which has a 700 head/day slaughtering capacity.
2009
Start-up of Minerva Dawn Farms in the city of Barretos, state of São Paulo, the processing facility specialized in cooked frozen products, a JV between Minerva S.A. and Dawn Farms Foods from Ireland. Minerva S.A. currently owns 100% of Minerva Dawn Farms’ shares. The production unit is one of the country’s largest meat-processing plants for industrialized products. Beginning of activities in Rolim de Moura/RO.
2010
Acquisition of a plant in Campina Verde, state of Minas Gerais. Operations began in May 2010.
2011
Acquisition of the meatpacker PUL in Uruguay, which has a 1,400 head/day slaughtering capacity.
2012
Acquisition of the meatpacker Frigomerc in Paraguay, wich has a 1,000 head/day slaughtering capacity.
2013
Opening of two distribution centers (Uberlândia, Minas Gerais and Rolim de Moura, Rondônia). In September 2013, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) became a Company shareholder due to the acquistion of a 3% interest. In November 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of two BRF’s cattle slaughtering units, establishing an important strategic movement, expandint its activities in the state of Mato Grosso
2014
Acquisition of Frigorífico Carrasco, in Uruguay, with slaughter capacity of 900 head/day. Acquisition of a meatpacking plant in Janaúba, in Minas Gerais state, with slaughter capacity of 900 head/day. Completion of the acquisition and beginning of operations in the Várzea Grande and Mirassol D’Oeste plants, in Mato Gross state, with slaughter capacity of 1,500 head/day and 1,100 head/day, respectively.
2015
Acquisition of 100% of Red Cárnica S.A.S and 100% of the shares of Red Industrial Colombiana S.A.S (together frigorífico Red Cárnica) , in the region of Cordoba, Colombia, with capacity of 850 heads/day. Signing of an agreement between FRIGOMERC S.A. and DIGNA S.A. for a rental of a slaughter and processing plant (frigorífico Expacar), located in Assuncion, Paraguay, with capacity of 600 heads/day.”
2016
Acquisition of Intermeat – Assessoria de e Comércio Ltda, a limited-liability company headquartered in Barueri, SP. Creation of the subsidiary Minerva Comercializadora de Energia Ltda to operate in the energy commercialization sector.
2017
Acquisition of JBS Mercosur in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, increasing daily slaughtering capacity by 52%, to 26,380 head. All in all, the Company acquired nine meatpacking units (five of which in Argentina, three in Paraguay and one in Uruguay), one processing unit in Argentina and one distribution center in Argentina.
2018
The year Minerva Foods operations are internationalized with the creation of Athena Foods, a Chilean company controlled 100% by Minerva S/A, comprising operations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Also, this year, the Company‘s new buildings are inaugurated in Barretos (SP), with the headquarters being renamed Centro Corporativo Antonio Vilela de Queiroz, in honor of one of the founding partners of Minerva Foods.
2019
In 2019, Minerva Foods enters into an asset exchange agreement with Marfrig, in which it takes over the slaughtering plants in Paranatinga and, in return, Marfrig takes over the slaughtering plant in Várzea Grande, both in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Minerva Foods signs a memorandum to form a joint venture in China and becomes the first Brazilian company to operate in beef distribution in the country.
- 1957
- 1992
- 1999
- 2001
- 2004
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019