Philippe Gelin, CEO of France-based LDC Group since 2023, is leading Europe’s largest poultry producer through a new phase of expansion while preparing the company for a generational transition.
Gelin joined LDC in 1996 after being recruited by former CEO Denis Lambert, son of one of the company’s co-founders. Over nearly three decades, he has managed a slaughterhouse, led the prepared foods division, and from 2016 headed the international operations, overseeing multiple acquisitions. He is expected to remain in his role until 2032, guiding the transfer of leadership to the third generation of the four founding families, which today count 16 family members working within the group.
Decentralised structure and local focus
LDC has developed through a highly decentralised model, giving significant responsibility to divisional leaders. According to Gelin, this structure relies on management, consistency, communication and guidance to support country-level leadership.
The group operates in Poland, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Hungary, with Hungarian operations supervising Romania. Across all markets, LDC follows the same principle applied in France: producing locally for local consumers.
The company’s strategy is to hatch, rear, slaughter and process poultry within each country of operation, offering products and brands adapted to local preferences.
Targeted acquisitions and partnerships
Recent acquisitions include Poland’s largest turkey producer Indykpol, Polish chicken processor Konspol, Romanian poultry processor and distributor Calibra, and Germany’s frozen food manufacturer European Convenience Foods.
On 1 December 2025, LDC also announced a partnership with the Buchanan family in the United Kingdom, owners of Green Label Holdings and the Gressingham duck brand. Green Label employs 700 people and operates 250,000 square metres of farm area, supplying roughly half of its own production needs. The Buchanan family will continue managing the business.
Investment in capacity and value-added products
In France, LDC continues to invest to strengthen competitiveness and expand volumes across species, including broiler chickens, turkey, duck, guinea fowl, quail and pigeon. The company covers a full range of production systems, from standard chicken to quality label, free range, organic and European Chicken Commitment (ECC) standards.
In 2022, LDC launched a four-year investment programme, Niagara, valued at EUR 200 million. The plan includes building a slaughterhouse every two years, each with a capacity of one million chickens per week.
Alongside whole birds and cuts, the group is expanding its further processed segment, particularly cooked and breaded poultry products, in response to strong demand in France.
Upstream integration and resilience
Securing bird supply remains a priority. Through its upstream division, which includes feed plants, LDC works closely with farmer associations and project developers, supporting renovation and construction of poultry houses. The group has also invested in hatcheries since 2017.
With operations covering most of France, LDC can redirect production in the event of disruptions such as avian influenza outbreaks.
From EUR 1 billion in revenue in 2001 to EUR 7 billion today, the group continues to structure its investments around long-term continuity. Gelin has stated that LDC aims to return to the profit levels achieved in 2020–2021, before the period of high inflation, and reports that the company is moving toward that objective.
