What Midfield Meats does

Midfield Group (operating under the consumer-facing name Midfield Meats) is a privately held, 100% Australian-owned multi-species protein business headquartered in Warrnambool, Victoria. Founded in 1975 by the McKenna family and employing more than 1,000 staff, it operates a fully vertically integrated model spanning pastoral properties, livestock procurement via the Midfield Direct booking platform, beef and lamb slaughter and processing (700 cattle/day capacity on the upgraded 246 floor), a state-of-the-art protein recovery plant, hides and skins processing, in-house transport (including 85-tonne B-Triple trucks), and retail outlets (Meat Barns). It sells through multiple premium consumer brands — Union Station, Coorong Black, Coorong Gold, 246 Beef & Lamb, Kuleah Heritage and the core Midfield label — exporting to over 100 international markets across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the USA via direct enterprise sales and major trade shows such as Gulfoods, FHA, IFFA and Food & Hotel Asia.

In 2016 the group diversified into dairy through the Union Dairy Company (UDC), a joint venture with Louis Dreyfus Company Dairy Asia that operates a 220 million litre/year milk processing plant at Penola, South Australia, producing whole milk powder, skim milk powder and anhydrous milk fat primarily for Southeast Asian customers. Midfield Protein Solutions extends the model into pet food ingredients (premium dried ovine and bovine meals, tallow) for US and EU manufacturers, and the group has invested in environmental technology including a new protein plant that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 100,000 tonnes/year and bioremediation effluent ponds using spirulina algae, supporting a stated 2025 net-zero target.

The business model is predominantly transaction-based commodity processing (livestock grid pricing, milk supply pricing at AUD $9.00/kg MS opening for 2025/26) plus branded premium sales. Capital intensity is high — the group has invested in Australia's first Knecht robotic knife sharpener, a Trim Management System (TMS) Room with automated x-ray fat scanning, European slaughter-floor equipment, and the protein recovery plant — reinforcing a cost advantage from scale and integration. Customer mix is geographically and segment-diversified, with named relationships including Sempio (Korea), VanDrie Group and Melkweg (Europe), and US pet food manufacturers, reducing single-customer concentration risk but exposing the business to global commodity cycles in beef, lamb and dairy.

Name

Midfield Meats

Legal name

The Midfield Group

Website

https://midfield.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Midfield Group is a privately held, vertically integrated Australian meat, dairy and protein processor founded in 1975, employing 1,000+ staff across slaughter, dairy, rendering, hides, transport and retail, and exporting premium beef, lamb and dairy products to over 100 international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meat Processing

NAICS

Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611), Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011)

akta.pro primary industry

Ground Beef Production (Grinding, Blending, Forming) (AFANAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Offal & Variety Meats Processing (Liver, Kidney, Heart, Tongue, Tripe) (AFANAJAA)

Keywords

• Meat processing services
• Beef and lamb export
• Dairy powder processing
• Protein rendering products
• Livestock procurement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrnambool

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Meat Processing and Export: Core business processing beef and lamb for domestic and international markets. Operates multiple brands including Union Station, Coorong Black, 246 Beef & Lamb, Kuleah Heritage, and Midfield. Exports to over 100 international markets.
2. Dairy Processing: The Union Dairy Company processes milk into dairy powders and fats. Joint venture with Louis Dreyfus Company. Annual processing capacity of 220 million litres. Products include Whole Milk Powder, Skim Milk Powder, Anhydrous Milk Fat.
3. Protein Solutions: Midfield Protein Solutions produces Premium Dried Ovine and Bovine meals for pet food markets, along with tallow. Processes animal byproducts that would otherwise be wasted.
4. Pastoral Operations: Own farming operations including cattle and sheep properties, supporting vertical integration.
5. Transport Services: Midfield Transport provides logistics for livestock and product movement, including B-Triple trucks with 85-tonne capacity.
6. Hides and Skins: Processing and distribution of hides and skins for leather goods industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Midfield Group is a vertically integrated Australian meat processing company that processes beef and lamb (700 cattle/day capacity), produces dairy powders and fats through the Union Dairy Company joint venture (220 million litres annual capacity), and renders animal byproducts into protein meals and tallow for pet food markets. The company supplies multiple premium brands including Union Station, Coorong Black, 246 Beef & Lamb, and Kuleah Heritage to over 100 international markets. Operations span pastoral farming, livestock procurement via the Midfield Direct booking platform, slaughter and processing, dairy manufacturing, protein rendering, hides and skins processing, and in-house transport logistics.

Product overview

Midfield Group is a multi-faceted Australian meat processing company offering a diverse portfolio of beef and lamb products across multiple sub-brands (Union Station, Coorong Black, Coorong Gold, 246 Beef & Lamb, Kuleah Heritage, and Midfield core brand). The company operates across the entire supply chain through various divisions including Midfield Meat International (international sales), Midfield Direct (livestock booking), Midfield Transport (transportation), Midfield Protein Solutions (rendering and co-products), The Union Dairy Company (dairy processing), Hides and Skins, Pastoral, Meat Barns (retail), Trading, Commodities, and Import/Export. The product portfolio spans from premium free-range beef and lamb to dairy products, rendered protein meals for pet food, and byproducts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Union Station: Premium range of free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic-free lamb and beef products.
• Coorong Black
• Coorong Gold
• 246 Beef & Lamb
• Kuleah Heritage
• Midfield
• Meat Barns
• The Union Dairy Company (UDC)

Products and services

• Midfield Meat International (Beef and Lamb Processing) Core meat processing division handling beef and lamb slaughter, fabrication, and international export. Operates the upgraded 246 beef slaughter floor (700 cattle/day) and supplies multiple branded products (Union Station, Coorong Black, 246 Beef & Lamb, Kuleah Heritage, Midfield) to over 100 international markets across Asia, Middle East, Europe, and USA.
• The Union Dairy Company (UDC) - Dairy Processing Dairy processing joint venture with Louis Dreyfus Company Dairy Asia located in Penola, South Australia. Processes up to 220 million litres of raw milk annually into Whole Milk Powder, Skim Milk Powder, and Anhydrous Milk Fat for domestic and international dairy ingredient customers in Asia-Pacific and Europe (Southeast Asia accounts for over 50% of UDC sales).
• Midfield Protein Solutions - Protein Rendering Protein rendering division processing animal byproducts into meat and bone protein meals, blood meals, and tallow. Features three processing lines including a customized design for modern pet food markets with precise pressure and temperature controls. Produces Premium Dried Ovine and Bovine meals for US pet food manufacturers. Reduces waste from primary meat processing operations.
• Midfield Direct - Livestock Booking Service Online livestock booking and processing service for Australian farmers. Allows farmers to request processing of cattle and lambs through an online booking platform with livestock grid pricing based on quality and weight. Supported by the Midfield Livestock and Transport mobile app for booking, scheduling, livestock photos via camera, GPS location recording, and NVD paperwork management.
• Union Station - Premium Beef and Lamb Brand Premium range of free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free beef and lamb products developed for discerning markets. Bronze award winner at 2018 Australian Food Awards (Union Station Premium Free Range Grassfed Beef and Lamb).
• Coorong Black - Beef and Lamb Brand Premium beef brand of Midfield Group offering beef and lamb products.
• 246 Beef & Lamb Brand Beef and lamb product brand under Midfield Group. The brand name corresponds to Midfield's state-of-the-art upgraded 246 beef slaughter floor (doubled capacity to 700 units per day with European equipment).
• Kuleah Heritage - Heritage Beef and Lamb Brand Heritage brand of beef and lamb products from Midfield Group.
• Midfield - Core Beef and Lamb Brand Core brand of Australian beef and lamb products from Midfield Group.
• Midfield Transport - Logistics Services In-house transport division providing logistics for livestock and product movement. Operates heavy vehicle fleet including B-Triple trucks with 85-tonne capacity (34.2 metres), reducing truck movement counts and supporting supply chain efficiency.
• Hides and Skins Division Processing and distribution of cattle hides and skins for the leather goods industry. Sells through channels including the APLF Leather Fair.
• Pastoral Operations Own farming and pastoral operations including cattle and sheep properties, supporting vertical integration and supply assurance from paddock to plate. The dairy operation milks 1,500 cows and employs 30 people.
• Meat Barns - Retail Outlets Company-owned retail meat outlet division selling Midfield branded beef and lamb products directly to Australian domestic consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 100,000+ tonnes per year with new protein plant
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• SempiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 November 2021Major Korean food company. Midfield is exclusive supplier of eye rounds for Sempio's 'Ziller Tong-Yukpo' beef jerky product. Partnership demonstrates Midfield's ability to supply premium beef to major Asian food manufacturers.
• Louis Dreyfus Company Dairy AsiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2016Joint venture for construction, development and management of a dairy processing plant in Penola, South Australia. The plant has annual capacity of 220 million litres, producing dairy powders and fats for domestic and international markets. Combines Midfield's farming and processing expertise with LDC's global merchandising capabilities.
• VanDrie GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean veal and beef industry benchmarking partnership. VanDrie Group is Europe's largest veal producer with €3 billion annual turnover and 30% European market share. Partnership focuses on best practices sharing, supply chain integration, and product diversification opportunities.
• MelkwegcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy trading arm of VanDrie Group with over 30 years experience trading 250,000+ metric tonnes of dairy products annually. Partnership exploring new customer opportunities across Asia-Pacific and Europe with complementary product offerings.
• ElPozominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpain's leading pork processor based in Murcia. Family-owned vertically integrated business processing 14,000 pigs daily. Visit focused on industry benchmarking and learning best practices in integrated meat processing operations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JBS Australia: Australian arm of global meat giant JBS S.A., operating multiple beef and lamb processing plants across Australia. Direct competitor in red meat processing, export, and branding, with overlapping customer base in Asia, Middle East, and the Americas.
• Teys Australia: Vertically integrated Australian beef processor with cattle supply, processing, and branded product lines. Highly comparable in scale, multi-plant footprint, and export orientation to international foodservice and retail customers.
• Thomas Foods International: South Australian family-owned meat processor with lamb and beef processing, value-added products, and global export. Comparable in family ownership, multi-species focus, and export-led growth to international markets.
• Kilcoy Pastoral Company: Queensland-based beef processor focused on premium grass-fed and grain-fed products with strong North American and Asian export presence. Comparable branded portfolio and premium positioning.
• Bindaree Beef (Sirromet): Vertically integrated Australian beef processor with feedlot, processing, and value-added operations. Comparable vertically integrated model, export orientation, and branded beef offerings.
• Greenham Tasmania: Tasmanian premium beef processor exporting grass-fed, natural beef to international markets. Comparable premium branding strategy, export focus, and family-style ownership.

Broad incumbents

• NH Foods Australia: Australian subsidiary of Japanese meat giant NH Foods. Operates beef processing, feedlot, and value-added plants in Australia, comparable processing capacity and export to Asia-Pacific.
• Cargill Australia (Protein & Salt): Operates beef processing at Wagga Wagga and other sites, with significant Australian export volumes. Comparable in scale, supply chain integration, and global customer reach for Australian red meat.
• Bega Cheese: Major Australian dairy processor with broad product portfolio including milk powders. Comparable to the Union Dairy Company in producing dairy ingredients and powders for domestic and export markets.
• Tyson Foods: US-headquartered global protein company with beef, chicken, and prepared foods operations. Comparable as a large-scale, vertically integrated multi-protein processor with international distribution and pet food/ingredient adjacencies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-midfield-group
• Xx.com/midfield_group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Midfield Meats