Ivo Cozzini said in a statement: "There comes a point in one's career where one realizes that as an owner/operator it is very important to execute a succession plan to assure the ongoing well-being of one's company. My decision in selecting the Middleby Corp. was based on numerous factors. The Middleby commitment towards acquiring high-quality companies and towards continued growth satisfied my concerns that the Cozzini brand will flourish and continue its successful growth and existence well into the future. In turn, it will secure the livelihood of the many loyal worldwide Cozzini employees that helped make Cozzini one of the most recognized high quality brands of meat processing equipment and technologies globally. "Another very important factor in selecting Middleby was my concern for the uninterrupted and continued support of the many loyal Cozzini customers worldwide," he added. "Our customers place a lot of trust in Cozzini to continually supply, service and support them properly.