TheEnid (Okla.) News & Eaglereported that local processorAdvance Food Co. agreed to purchase the operating assets ofWhitaker Foods, Evansdale, Iowa, for an undisclosed amount.

“This acquisition is an important step in our company’s desire to bring the very best in value-added products to our customers,” Mark Allen, Advance president, said in a press release announcing the acquisition. “The Whitaker Foods product lines are very complimentary to our existing products, creating a synergy that will help Advance Food Co. reach our goal of becoming the unconditional leader in our product categories.”

Founded in 1954, Whitaker processes retail frozen ready-to-cook breaded pork, beef and chicken items for the supermarket and club store channels. Advance Foods Senior Vice President Peter Dillingham told theNews & Eaglethat Advance did not buy the Iowa facility, but production is moving to Enid.

Advance is a leading national manufacturer of value-added beef, pork, veal, lamb, chicken and turkey products for the foodservice industry.