In Southeast Georgia, the Cows Go “Méu”
François Léger was raised on a farm in France and wanted to continue his family’s proud farming legacy. He pursued a degree in agriculture and worked in the beef industry in France, Australia, South America and the U.S. for more than 17 years. In 2004, he purchased a processing facility and a grinding facility in Augusta, Georgia, and called the company FPL Food after the initials of his name, François Paul Léger.
As his business grew, Francois purchased pasture and farmland in Central Georgia in 2011. Sticking with his French roots, he named the farm Chatel Farms. Francois immediately set to work building a cattle-feeding and live operation that rivaled anything in the Southeast. His goal was to prove that great quality cattle could be raised and finished for beef production in the Southeastern United States. To achieve this goal, he sourced some of the best Angus genetics and began raising corn and other forage crops as feed sources for his herd. Today, Chatel Farms has a herd totaling more than 8,000 head including Angus and Akaushi (Wagyu), pure-bred seed-stock animals and feeder cattle to support the FPL Food beef brands.
Continuing his vision, Francois decided to take the next step to complete his dream of vertical integration and purchased a further processing facility in 2012. This facility located in Thomasville, Georgia, provides FPL with the ability to produce case ready retail beef cuts and portioned steaks and burgers for the foodservice industry.
We continue to grow our business through our vertically integrated brands and high-quality boxed beef. With our fresh and frozen grinds program and case ready products from our further processing facility, FPL Food supplies a comprehensive portfolio of quality beef products that meet our customers’ needs.
No Other Beef has a Story Quite Like FPL Food
FPL Food is the Southeast’s number one privately owned processor of fresh beef products and ground beef selection. Our vertically integrated approach gives us the versatility to adapt quickly, provide the highest quality meat selections and help our domestic and international retail, foodservice and food manufacturer partners diversify their menus and deliver consistency in their meat cases. We take great pride in giving our customers the attention to detail, customer service, experience and adaptability they need to succeed.
Our Approach
Our family-owned beef business was built on the principles of sustainability, traceability and animal welfare. Today, we have more than 1,400 team members at three facilities throughout Georgia — our farm, production plant and further processing facility. These facilities supply multiple brands of beef products from cattle raised through a process that combines new innovations with traditional French provincial farming techniques.
OUR CULTURE
Our belief is that a company is not a collection of buildings, equipment and products — it is made up of people, beliefs, attitudes and a shared work ethic. Without a diverse and committed workforce, FPL Food would be like any other food company. It is our team members that set us apart.
We are committed to sustainability in the way we operate our business. Sustainability means many things at FPL Food. Whether it’s repurposing waste from our cattle operation as fertilizer or how we treat our team members, we know that sustainability ultimately means the long-term growth of our company.
OUR COMMUNITY
Our Community Pride Just Keeps Growing
FPL Food is proud to be a Georgia Grown business and share the Peach State pride by supporting worthwhile organizations and causes in the communities close to us.
