Minerva is classified as one of the major companies in the meatpacking sector. In this sense, it is considered one of the leaders in South America in the production and marketing of fresh meat and its derivatives. Furthermore, it operates in the export of live cattle and in the processing of beef, pork, and poultry.

In general, the company has important characteristics that bring advantages to its business, including:

• Growth aligned with efficient risk management: guided by a daily meeting called 'Beef Desk';

• Efficiency and return on capital: high maintenance of its operational capacity utilization rates;

• Strategically located operations: diversified operational base across various Brazilian states and abroad;

• Efficient and integrated distribution logistics: allows directing its sales to the most attractive markets;

• Experienced management: developing a lasting relationship with relevant members of the Brazilian livestock sector;

Production and logistics

Overall, Minerva operates 24 beef processing plants, distributed as follows:

• 10 located in Brazil: in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Tocantins;

• 5 in Paraguay: in the cities of Asunción, San Antonio, and Belém;

• 3 in Uruguay: in the cities of Melo, Canelones, and Montevideo;

• 5 in Argentina: in the cities of Rosario, Berazategui, Colonia Caroya, and Venado Tuerto

• 1 in Colombia: in Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba region.

Additionally, the company has a facility in Brazil for protein processing – Minerva Fine Foods – and two plants located in the cities of Rosario and Pilar, Argentina. Both plants are part of the brand Swift Argentina, with processing capacities of 162 and 55 tons per day, respectively.

Thus, the twenty-six production units of the company, in addition to Minerva Fine Foods, are strategically located near major exporting ports and domestic markets, as well as its extensive base of cattle suppliers.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that Minerva Foods' deboning capacity exceeds its slaughter capacity. In other words, the company ensures flexibility in the production process.

Therefore, it is possible to process cattle, as well as carcasses purchased from third parties, to maximize profitability levels, as processing is the activity that adds the most value to beef.

Since 2007, the company has invested around R$ 4.0 billion in expanding its production capacity and diversifying its product portfolio through selective acquisitions and the construction of new industrial units.

Moreover, it has increased and modernized the production capacity of all units, in addition to building the food processing unit – Minerva Dawn Farms.

International operations

Incredibly, the company exports to over 100 countries across five continents, through 15 commercial offices located in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Asia.

Moreover, the company controls 14 distribution centers, which are:

• 9 in Brazil;

• 1 in Paraguay;

• 1 in Colombia;

• 2 in Chile;

• 1 in Argentina.

Basically, the company focuses on selling meats and derivatives to emerging countries, accessing almost all markets. Despite this, it has products to meet the specific demand of some countries.

Thus, Minerva is responsible for selling special cuts, such as Kosher and Halal for the Middle East and Russia. Such sales occur mainly through three distinct channels: Industry, Food Service and Retail.

The history of Minerva began in 1957, when the Vilela de Queiroz family began the creation of cattle and the provision of logistics services for cattle transport on farms to slaughterhouses.

It was then, in 1992, that the family purchased from Frigorífico Minerva do Brasil S.A. its first slaughter and processing unit, located in Barretos-São Paulo. In the same year, the foundation of Indústria e Comércio de Carnes Minerva Ltda.

At the end of the 20th century, in 1999, the company made its first acquisition, after raising a slaughter and processing unit in the city of José Bonifácio, in São Paulo.

In 2001, the company acquired another processing unit, now in the city of Cajamar, also in the State of São Paulo, which would later be closed in 2009.

In 2004, the company expanded to the city of Palmeiras de Goiás, in the state of Goiás, considered one of the most modern beef processing facilities in Latin America.

In 2006, the group entered into a lease agreement for a slaughter and processing unit in the city of Batayporã, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The following year, Minerva began construction of a unit in the city of Rolim de Moura, in the state of Rondônia. In addition, it acquired industrial units in the states of Tocantins and Pará. In April 2007, there was another acquisition, now of the industrial unit in Araguaína-Tocantins.

Also in 2007, the company achieved its IPO and began trading its shares on the Novo Mercado listing segment. Shortly thereafter, the company began construction of an industrial unit for the production of cooked and frozen meat in Barretos-SP, in a joint venture with the Irish company Dawn Farms Group.

In 2008, the acquisition of the slaughterhouse Lord Meat, in the state of Goiás, with a current slaughter capacity of 500 heads per day, occurred. Additionally, Friasa, a company from Paraguay – with a slaughter capacity of 700 heads per day – was purchased by Minerva.

Shortly thereafter, in 2011, the company strengthened its international presence with the acquisition of the slaughterhouse PUL, in Uruguay – with a slaughter capacity of 1,400 heads per day – and the slaughterhouse Frigomerc, in Paraguay – with a slaughter capacity of 1,000 heads daily.

In 2014, the company acquired another plant in Uruguay, the slaughterhouse Carrasco, with a slaughter capacity of 900 heads per day. In 2017, Minerva achieved the significant acquisition of JBS Mercosul, in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, which increased slaughter capacity by 52%, totaling 26,380 heads per day.

As a result, the company acquired 9 slaughter units (5 in Argentina, 3 in Paraguay, and 1 in Uruguay), one processed unit in Argentina, and a distribution center also in Argentina.

In 2018, Athena Foods, a Chilean company 100% controlled by Minerva, was created. More recently, in 2019, Minerva Foods entered into an asset swap agreement with Marfrig, in which it took over the slaughter plant in Paranatinga, and in return, Marfrig took over the slaughter plant in Várzea Grande, both in the state of Mato Grosso.

Finally, the company closed an agreement to form a joint venture in China. Thus, Minerva became the first Brazilian company to operate in the distribution of beef in China.