CINCINNATI — Advance Food Co., Inc., Pierre Foods, Inc., and Advance Brands L.L.C., which is a joint venture between Advance Food Co. and Cargill Meat Solutions, have closed on their merger to create AdvancePierre Foods, a new company that will have approximately $1.3 billion in net sales.

Bill Toler, the current chief executive officer of Pierre Foods, is c.e.o. of the newly combined company. Greg Allen, the current c.e.o. of Advance Food Co., will join the board of directors of the combined company.

The new company will offer packaged sandwiches, fully-cooked chicken and beef products, Philly-style steak, breaded beef, pork, and poultry and bakery products. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with some divisional leadership based in Oklahoma, AdvancePierre Foods will operate processing facilities in Oklahoma, Ohio and Iowa as well as sandwich assembly facilities in North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. The company also will operate bakeries in North Carolina and Oklahoma.