What Leo Group does

Leo Group Ltd is a UK-headquartered, privately held industrial group specialising in the collection, rendering, and downstream processing of animal by-products. The group operates across the United Kingdom (Halifax headquarters; Omega Proteins Bradford, Penrith, and Kintore; Scot Proteins Kintore), Belgium (Biopower NV, Oostende), and South Africa (BJK Industries, Cape Town), and is owned and led by CEO Danny Sawrij. The core business model is B2B: collecting Category 1 (high-risk, including fallen stock and specified risk material) and Category 3 (fit-for-human-consumption but unsold) animal by-products from abattoirs, poultry processors, butchers, and farms via the in-house Haulage Holdings fleet of sealed tankers and hydraulic-lid trailers, then rendering these into protein meals and purified fats at dedicated plants.

The technology base centres on industrial rendering — heat treatment, moisture removal, and fat/protein separation — with advanced downstream capabilities including reverse osmosis effluent treatment (improving steam output by 3.2%), multi-fuel thermal oxidisers running on biomass, and a district heat network in development. The product portfolio spans 12+ protein meal SKUs (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, duck, feather, blood, meat and bone meal) and seven oil SKUs (including specialty low-temperature and BIC-certified tallow), sold to pet food manufacturers, oleo/cosmetics producers, biodiesel and SAF/HVO biofuel producers, agricultural feed customers, and power generators. The group processes 1.25 million tonnes of material annually, produces 165,000 tonnes of protein meal and 150 million litres of purified fats, and generates 60 MW of renewable electricity.

The group is differentiated by heavy regulatory moats (DEFRA licensing, GMP+, PAS 99/ISO 14001/9001/45001, ISCC, ISO 50001), vertical integration from collection through export (Port of Sunderland maritime terminal for global oil exports), and a 40-year operational track record. Four decades of customer relationships, multi-site scale economics, and an owner-operator capex programme (notably a £30 million Penrith plant upgrade and a new Sunderland export terminal) underpin its market position.

Name

Leo Group

Legal name

Leo Group Ltd

Website

https://leogroupltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

UK-based animal by-products processor that collects and renders Category 1 and Category 3 material into protein meals, oils, and renewable energy products. Serves pet food manufacturers, biofuel producers, oleochemical firms, and agricultural industries across the UK, Europe, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal By-Product Processing and Rendering

NAICS

Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Poultry By-Product Meal Production (Poultry Meal, Feather Meal) (AFANAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Co-Products & Pet Food Ingredients from Meat (Offal, Trimmings) (AFAKALAI), Byproducts & Rendering Inputs Wholesale (Offal, Hides, Bones, Tallow) (AFAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Animal by-product processing
• Rendering services
• Protein meal production
• Animal fat rendering
• Pet food ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Animal By-Product Processing and Rendering: Collecting and processing animal by-products from abattoirs, poultry processors, butchers, and farms. Raw materials are rendered into protein meals and oils which are sold as ingredients to various industries. Core business generating recurring revenue from continuous waste stream from meat industry.
2. Pet Food Ingredients Sales: High-quality protein meals and oils sold to pet food manufacturers worldwide. Premium products with global distribution through established customers including world-renowned pet food brands.
3. Renewable Energy Products: Meat and bone meal used as biomass fuel for cement works and power generation. Oils sold to biodiesel industry and for sustainable aviation fuel production. Tallow sold to oleo chemical and soap producers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Leo Group collects and processes animal by-products from abattoirs, poultry processors, butchers, and farms, rendering them into protein meals (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, duck, feather, blood, and meat and bone meals) and purified animal fats/oils (tallow, poultry oil, turkey oil, pork oil, lamb oil). These ingredients are sold globally to pet food manufacturers, oleochemical and cosmetics producers, biodiesel and renewable fuel producers, and agricultural industries. The group also generates renewable energy from biomass, wind, and solar at its facilities.

Product overview

Leo Group is a UK-based specialist in animal by-products and renewable energy operating a diversified portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include premium animal protein meals (Processed Animal Protein Meal, Feather Meal, Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Poultry Meal, Pork Meal, Lamb Meal, Turkey Meal, Duck Meal, Poultry Blood Meal, PAP Blood Meal, and Meat and Bone Meal) and premium oils (Turkey Oil, Pork Oil, Lamb Oil, Poultry Oil, Tallow, BIC Tallow, and Low Temp Poultry Oil). These are produced through rendering operations at three UK plants (Omega Proteins Bradford, Omega Proteins Penrith, and Scot Proteins Kintore) and a Belgium facility (Biopower). The group provides integrated services including animal by-products collection, fallen stock collection, and rendering processing. Key subsidiaries include Haulage Holdings (in-house logistics), Leo Sawrij Ltd, Bell Truck and Van, and BJK Industries (South Africa). Products serve pet food, oleo chemical, cosmetics, renewable fuel (including sustainable aviation fuel and HVO), agricultural, and power industries. The company also operates renewable energy generation through wind, solar, and biomass systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Omega Proteins: Core operating division specializing in animal by-products processing (Category 1 and Category 3 rendering) with facilities in Bradford, Penrith, and Kintore.
• Scot Proteins
• Biopower
• BJK Industries
• Haulage Holdings

Products and services

• Processed Animal Protein Meal Category 3 processed animal protein used in pet food, aquaculture feed, and agricultural applications.
• Feather Meal Processed feather meal derived from poultry feathers, used as a protein source in animal feed.
• Chicken Meal High-quality chicken meal produced from processing chicken by-products, used in pet food formulations.
• Beef Meal Processed beef meal derived from beef by-products, used as protein ingredient in animal feed.
• Poultry Meal Poultry meal produced from processing poultry by-products for use in pet food and animal feed.
• Pork Meal Pork meal processed from pork by-products, used as protein source in animal feed applications.
• Lamb Meal Lamb meal derived from lamb processing by-products for animal feed formulations.
• Turkey Meal Turkey meal processed from turkey by-products, used in pet food and animal feed.
• Meat and Bone Meal Category 1 meat and bone meal produced from high-risk animal by-products, used as raw ingredient in biodiesel industry and alternative to fossil fuels in power generation and cement production.
• Poultry Blood Meal Poultry blood meal used as high-protein ingredient in animal feed.
• PAP Blood Meal Processed Animal Protein blood meal for use in animal nutrition.
• Duck Meal Duck meal processed from duck by-products for pet food and animal feed.
• Turkey Oil High-quality turkey oil produced from turkey processing, used in various industrial applications.
• Pork Oil Pork oil rendered from pork by-products for industrial uses including biodiesel.
• Lamb Oil Lamb oil derived from lamb processing for use in industrial applications.
• Poultry Oil Poultry oil produced from poultry processing, used in renewable fuel, pet food, oleo chemical, and cosmetics industries.
• Tallow High-quality tallow produced from animal by-products, used in oleo chemical, biodiesel, and soap production.
• BIC Tallow BIC-certified tallow meeting specific industry standards for quality and sustainability.
• Low Temp Poultry Oil Specialty poultry oil processed at lower temperatures to preserve quality characteristics for specific industrial applications.
• Animal By-Products Collection Collection service for category 1 and category 3 animal by-products from abattoirs, poultry processors, butchers, and takeaways nationwide using sealed tankers and trailers with hydraulic metal lids.
• Fallen Stock Collection Approved collector and transporter of fallen stock providing prompt professional service to farms throughout the UK, including exotic animals, within 48 hours of notification.
• Rendering Processing of category 1 and category 3 animal by-products at dedicated rendering plants in Bradford, Kintore, and Penrith to produce oils and meals for various industries.
• Pet Food Ingredients Range of products and ingredients specifically formulated and supplied to pet food manufacturers, including premium meals and oils meeting quality specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes 1.25 million tonnes of material annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Port of SunderlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2023Leo Group completed construction of its new maritime storage terminal at Port of Sunderland. Storage tanks hold oil from Omega Protein plants across UK and allow loading of largest tankers for global export to EU and international markets. Multi-million pound investment crucial for future exports.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Darling Ingredients: NYSE-listed global rendering leader converting animal by-products into proteins and fats for pet food, biofuels, and oleochemicals. Closest large-scale direct competitor with comparable Category 1/Category 3 operations and SAF/biodiesel feedstock positioning.
• SARIA Group: Germany-based privately held European rendering and bioenergy group (SARIA, BioInternational, TÖNNIES) with parallel by-product collection, rendering, and biomass-to-energy operations. Highly comparable model and geography to Leo Group.
• Baker Commodities: US-based renderer producing tallow, meat and bone meal, and yellow grease for pet food, soap, and biodiesel. Closely comparable Category 1/3 processing model and customer mix.
• Sanimax: North American rendering and recycling company producing rendered proteins, fats, and biodiesel feedstock. Comparable vertical integration from collection to finished products for pet food and renewable fuel end markets.
• Anamax Group: Wisconsin-based rendering company processing animal by-products into protein meals and tallow for pet food, feed, and industrial customers. Closely comparable mid-tier rendering business model.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agricultural commodity giant with significant animal nutrition and rendering operations across multiple continents. Overlaps with Leo Group on protein meals, oils, and biofuel feedstocks as part of a much broader portfolio.
• JBS: World's largest meat processor with integrated rendering operations producing tallow, meals, and biodiesel. Leo Group supplies raw materials into JBS-adjacent supply chains and competes for pet food and biofuel feedstock volume.
• Tyson Foods: US meat protein giant with sizable rendering and by-product monetisation across poultry, beef, and pork. Comparable downstream use cases for rendered proteins in feed and renewable fuels.

Emerging players

• InnovaFeed: French insect protein producer targeting aquaculture and pet food with an alternative to rendered meals. Indirectly competes with Leo Group's protein meal portfolio via aquafeed and premium pet food formulators.
• Ynsect: French insect protein producer scaling mealworm-derived protein for pet food and aquafeed. Emerging substitute to rendered animal proteins that could pressure long-term Leo Group volumes in premium pet food.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/leogroupltd.uk
• Xx.com/leogroupltd1

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leo Group