The Next Century of Innovative Solutions Begins for Furst-McNess
Freeport, IL, Aug. 2, 2021: Furst-McNess Company announced today it has been acquired by Easy USA Holdings Inc. (Easy USA) of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The company will retain its name and continue to operate as a stand-alone business, receiving financial, talent and other resources from Easy USA.
Easy USA is a subsidiary of Easy Holdings Company, Ltd. (Easy Holdings), a $2 billion publicly traded, international animal feed nutrition and feed mill organization with distribution in 65 countries. Furst-McNess is expected to realize new growth opportunities especially through another Easy Holdings subsidiary called Easy Bio Inc. (Easy Bio), which delivers feed additives and specialized feeds to more than 30 countries.
No jobs are expected to be affected by this combination; to the contrary, Furst-McNess is hiring and looking to bring on board even more talent in the months ahead. Meanwhile, long-time company leader Ned Furst will continue to be involved as Chairman Emeritus of the board.
“We are a ‘hands off’ type of owner and are here to assist Furst-McNess in expanding its product offerings and distribution, both in North America and internationally,” says Dr. Stevenson Hwang, CEO of Easy USA. “Furst-McNess is a highly respected brand built upon more than a century of solid business capabilities, unique competencies and active corporate values. We look forward to learning from it, working with so many talented people, and supporting the company for additional growth.”
“Easy USA brings to Furst-McNess significant international distribution channels, financial resources and a new range of product ingredients and products we can now offer in North America,” says Furst-McNess Board Chairman Eddie Wells. “Conversely, McNess provides Easy USA with a substantial presence in the U.S. animal nutrition industry from which it can now expand. Perhaps best of all, both companies have strong values and workplace cultures that complement one another. When it comes to mergers, it’s a perfect match.”
Mark Poeschl, Furst-McNess president and CEO, agrees. “The McNess culture is something we take great pride in. Easy USA brings a wealth of industry knowledge, resources and global connections. Yet it also brings a culture that is similar to ours. And when it comes to what makes a business successful, it is people and their values. Combining the cultures and talents of McNess and Easy USA, along with the impressive portfolio of nutritional products each company offers, creates great synergies that our leadership team sees as invaluable as we move forward.”
Says Hwang, “Easy Holdings and Furst-McNess share the vision of never settling in the present and constantly challenging ourselves. Along with this acquisition, we will continue to strengthen our capability in the North American and global animal industry.”
About Easy Holdings Ltd.
Oskaloosa, Iowa-based Easy USA (Easy USA) is a U.S.-based subsidiary of Easy Holdings Company, Ltd. (Easy Holdings), a publicly traded, vertically integrated agricultural business with operations in feed additives, feed manufacturing, farms/livestock production, livestock processing, broiler integration and food products, and distribution in 65 countries. Based in Seoul, Korea, Easy Holdings generates $2 billion in consolidated annual revenues from 50 subsidiaries including five in biotechnology, five in feed solutions, five in farm solutions, five in food solutions, two investment companies and a subsidiary in the Philippines. Eight of its subsidiaries are publicly traded. It employs 4,000 people worldwide including in South Korea, the Philippines, the U.K., Canada and the United States. Two years ago, it made its first U.S. investment when it acquired DFS Oskaloosa, a feed mill operation in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
About EASY BIO, Inc.
Easy Bio Inc. is a livestock company spun-off from Easy Holdings in 2020, operating two divisions: Pathway Intermediates and I-feed. Pathway Intermediates is a leading global animal nutrition brand based on over 30 years of research, has overseas branches and offices in seven countries and exports products to more than 30 countries. I-feed is South Korea’s No.1 piglet feed brand, which has delivered specialized feed and nutritional solutions dedicated for piglets since 2001 and established a new standard in the South Korean swine industry.
