Gold Creek Foods announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire "substantially all" of the assets of Foundation Food Group.
According to a press release from Forum Communcations, the agreement is set to close the first week of October. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed and are unavailable at this time.
Gold Creek Foods is a Gainesville-based chicken processor specializing in raw processing.
The announcement comes after federal officials ruled in July that Foundation Food Group and three related companies could have prevented the deaths of six workers who died during a nitrogen leak earlier this year at the food group's Gainesville plant.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Foundation Food Group on 26 violations, including six willful violations for exposing workers to thermal injuries and suffocation hazards resulting from the uncontrolled release of liquid nitrogen; failing to develop, document and use lockout procedures; not informing employees that liquid nitrogen, an asphyxiate, was used in the onsite freezer; not training employees on the methods and observations used to detect the presence or release of nitrogen; failing to train workers on the hazards of liquid nitrogen, and not training employees on the emergency procedures they can take to protect themselves.
Foundation Food Group faced $595,474 in penalties for the violations. The four companies cited were given 15 business days from receipt of their citations to comply with payment of fines, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings.
Foundation Food Group opted to contest the findings.
