ARIANE DAGUIN AQUIRES SOLE OWNERSHIP OF D'ARTAGNAN
-- Buys out Co-Founder George Faison, Ending a 20 Year Partnership --
(New York City, August 17, 2005) Ariane Daguin, co-founder of D'Artagnan,
the nation's leading purveyor of organic poultry and game, smoked and cured
meats, wild mushrooms, truffles and foie gras, has bought the entire
interest of her partner of twenty years, George Faison, under the terms of
their partnership agreement. "George and I founded D'Artagnan on a shared
vision and not much money," said Daguin announcing the restructuring. "It
has been twenty exciting years and it is hard to imagine D'Artagnan without
George, but I, and every one here, wish him all the best."
Ariane and George founded D'Artagnan in 1985. At the time, both were working
for a New York pâté company. When their employer turned down the chance to
market the first domestically produced foie gras, George and Ariane saw an
opportunity and pooled their resources to start D'Artagnan. Ariane, daughter
of a French chef famous for his foie gras preparations, recognized the
potential of American foie gras, and George, a native of Texas and a
passionate hunter, saw fresh game as another product that would appeal to an
increasingly sophisticated American palate. From a two-person
operation,D'Artagnan has grown to a $40 million a year business, recognized
by chefs throughout the U.S. for helping to revolutionize American cuisine.
According to Danny Meyer, owner of such famous New York restaurants as
Gramercy Tavern and the Union Square Café, "Ariane and George can claim
significant credit for why we eat as well as we do." In addition to
pioneering fresh foie gras and game, D'Artagnan was the first to market
organic poultry - they were selling organic chicken for years before the
USDA allowed the word "organic" on the label - and they continue to lead the
movement toward sustainable and humane farming.
Daguin sees no immediate changes at D'Artagnan as the result of the
restructuring.
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