Cincinnati-based food corporation Pierre Foods Inc. announced Sunday it has entered into an agreement to purchase “substantially all of the assets” of Rome’s Zartic Inc.

According to a press release from Pierre Foods, the preliminary purchase price for Zartic and its affiliated distribution company Zartran Inc. is $94 million, plus the assumption of certain liabilities.

The release said Pierre plans to finance the acquisition through an amendment to its existing credit agreement.

Zartic Inc., founded in 1970 by James Mauer in Plainfield, Ill., is headquartered in Rome. It produces a number of food products for distribution at schools, restaurants and retail distributors around the country, including such brands as Z-Bird poultry and Jim’s Country Mill Sausage.

According to its Web site, Zartic employs more than 1,250 people and has production operations in both Cedartown and Hamilton, Ala., in addition to its Rome locations.

Pierre Foods Inc. began in Cincinnati in 1946 when Samuel “Pierre” Dinerman began selling frozen foods to local restaurants, according to the company’s Web site.

The company distributes microwave sandwiches, bakery goods and entrees nationally to schools, restaurants and vending machines. Its primary business segments are sandwich assembly and bakery and food processing. It has manufacturing facilities in both Cincinnati and Claremont, N.C.

Products from the company include Chef’s Pantry, Fast Choice, Rib-B-Q, Blue Stone Grill and Hot ‘n’ Ready. It also has licenses to sell its products under brand names such as Checkers, Krystal, NASCAR and Nathan’s Famous.

According to an Oct. 16 article on the company by the Cincinnati Business Courier, Pierre Foods also recently completed its purchase of the Clovervale Farms Inc. food corporation, which has operations in Easley, S.C., and Amherst, Ohio, in August for $21.8 million.

Representatives from Zartic Inc. and Pierre Foods Inc. could not be reached for comment Sunday.