Tropical Cheese Industries Acquires Cibao Meat Products

Creates a Stronger Hispanic Foods Platform, Positioning the Company for Continued Growth

PERTH AMBOY, N.J. and ROCKAWAY, N.J., Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Cheese, a leading producer of Hispanic dairy products in the U.S., today announced the acquisition of Cibao Meat Products ("Cibao"), a leading manufacturer of premium Hispanic-style meat products, including the Induveca and Campesino brands. Cibao will be integrated into Tropical Cheese as its Cibao Meat Products Division, enabling Tropical Cheese to provide a more complete portfolio of branded Hispanic refrigerated food products.

Founded in 1982, Tropical Cheese has become the category leader in Hispanic cheeses across the Eastern U.S., serving retail channels through an integrated network that includes direct-store delivery. Backed by Avance Investment Management and AUA Private Equity, the company is focused on expanding its reach, growing its portfolio, and becoming a leading brand across the full spectrum of Hispanic refrigerated food products on the East Coast. Through this combination, Tropical Cheese will deliver a broader set of high-quality products to customers and consumers.

"This acquisition accelerates Tropical Cheese's growth by uniting two category leaders in Hispanic foods," said Vic Mehren, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical Cheese. "With Cibao, we will significantly strengthen our Meats Division, expand our Hispanic foods platform, and broaden our reach across the food industry and Hispanic community. This combination provides our customers with more high-quality offerings, stronger support, and additional resources behind service and execution. Cibao's premium ingredients and authentic recipes help us bring more authentic Hispanic foods to more consumers."

Mehren continued, "At Tropical Cheese, we are highly intentional about pursuing partnerships and opportunities that support our long‑term growth and align with our culture, which we found in Cibao Meat Products. Like Tropical Cheese, Cibao is a family-built company with a legacy that reflects our shared values of having pride in what we do, providing quality products to our customers, and supporting the dedicated, hardworking team members who are the key to our success."

Founded in 1969, Cibao Meat Products is a third-generation, family-owned business headquartered in Rockaway, New Jersey, that offers a wide selection of flavorful products tailored to Latin American tastes. In addition to its reputation for delivering top-tier meat products, Cibao has a robust cold-chain logistics operation that prioritizes freshness and consistency, supported by strong customer service and a disciplined, high-touch commercial team.

"Joining the Tropical Cheese family represents an exciting next chapter for Cibao Meats," said Heinz Vieluf Jr., President of Cibao Meat Products. "We are both family-built businesses with brands that are rooted in tradition and trusted for their quality. Joining Tropical Cheese gives Cibao access to greater resources and capabilities, enabling us to further invest in the business and deliver for our customers. We look forward to working with Tropical Cheese to continue bringing together the products that have long been staples in the households and communities we grew up in and proudly continue to serve."

About Tropical Cheese
Tropical Cheese is a premium brand with a rich family-run history, offering an assortment of Hispanic cheese, meat, and other food products. As the market leader in the Hispanic cheese category on the East Coast, Tropical Cheese has established itself as a trusted brand among Hispanic households, driving differentiated value to its customers through its authentic flavors, superior product quality and direct-store-delivery and logistics.

About Avance Investment Management
Avance is a private equity firm with a passion for building great businesses in partnership with talented founders and management teams. Avance focuses primarily on thematic investments within the Services, Technology and Consumer areas in the U.S., seeking attractive opportunities with catalysts for growth and fragmented spaces with consolidation opportunities. Avance's team has a long history of partnering with founder-owned businesses, industry executives, and management teams and aims to add value to each investment through the application of its STAGE™ value creation framework. Avance has offices in New York and Miami. For more information, please visit www.avanceinv.com.

About AUA Private Equity Partners, LLC
AUA Private Equity Partners is an operationally focused, lower middle-market investment firm providing strategic capital to companies in the consumer products and services sectors with a particular focus on family-owned businesses or companies benefiting from the growth of the U.S. Hispanic population. AUA Private Equity invests in companies in their core sectors that generate in excess of $10 million in EBITDA. For more information on AUA Private Equity Partners, please visit www.auaequity.com.

Avance Media Contact
Woomi Yun / Erik Carlson / Madeline Jones
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212.355.4449

AUA Media Contact
Max Rayden
Senior Director
ASC Advisors LLC
Tel: 203 992 1227
Cell: 917 705 1970
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Tropical Cheese