Category: Mergers & Acquisitions

Kraft Heinz to expand presence in Brazil’s condiments and sauce market with acquisition of Hemmer

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BRAZIL – American food company Kraft Heinz has signed an agreement to acquire Brazilian food producer Companhia Hemmer Indústria e Comércio (Hemmer) for an undisclosed sum.  Headquartered in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, Hemmer has a reach history spanning over 106 years and primarily offers condiments and sauces.   The deal which is subject to regulatory approvals by CADE (Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense) will see Kraft Heinz acquire more than 250 “meal-enhancing” offerings.   According to Kraft, these offerings will support its strategy of accelerating its international ‘taste elevation’ product platform and growing its presence in…

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Indian QSR operator Jubilant Foodworks acquires minority stake in nutrition company Wellversed

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INDIA – Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (JFL), a leading Indian quick service restaurants operator has acquired 25 per cent stake in Gurugram-based nutrition company Wellversed Health.  Wellversed Health offers a variety of food products that are customised for specific nutrition and dietary needs including gluten-free, keto, vegan, high-protein, diabetic conditions, and regular immunity.  According to a regulatory filing by JFL to the stock exchanges, the net revenue of Wellversed in fiscal 2019-20 was Rs 4.89 crore (US$663542).    Following the acquisition, Jubilant FoodWorks will have the right to nominate one non-retiring director to the board of Wellversed, and an observer…

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Grand Parade Investments gets go ahead from Competition Tribunal to dispose Burger King

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SOUTH AFRICA – The South African Competition Tribunal has approved the sale of Burger King South Africa and Grand Foods Meat Plant by Grand Parade Investments to international private equity fund Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) Africa. Following the green light, GPI can now move ahead with the disposal of the business to pan-African private equity firm ECP – pending all the final approvals. This comes after the deal hit a speedbump earlier this year due to concerns around a lack of BEE shareholding in the acquiring firm. The Competition Commission…

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Unionplus inaugrates new dairy production plant, BelGioioso to acquire Italian cheese producer Polly-O

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ITALY – Italian dairy company Unionplus Srl, a part of the Podini Group SpA in Bolzano, has inaugurated  its new production plant in Nogarole Rocca in the province of Verona.   According to company CEO Stefano Podini, the new facility will play an important role in the Podini Group’s project to expand, complete, and give continuity to the offer of raw materials of functional products to the Italian food industry.   He further noted that the new project represents his company’s courage and tenacity in business amid the enormous economic and political headwinds that have rocked the world during the pandemic period.…

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Pernod Ricard to buy online spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange as Sella Digital scoops up heritage gin brand J&W Nicholson

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UK – French alcoholic beverages company Pernod Ricard is set to expand its e-commerce capabilities with the acquisition of online spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange.  The Whisky Exchange was founded in 1999 by Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh and delivers a range of approximately 10,000 whiskies and spirits, making it one of the largest online spirits retailers in the UK.  Best known for its website, the company also has three retail shops in London and is also “active in private sales and online auctions of rare spirits,” said Pernod Ricard.  Pernod…

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Owners of South Africa based Consol Glass mull listing entity on JSE

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SOUTH AFRICA – South African investment company Brait, has gone back to the drawing board and revived plans of listing its glass packaging business, Consol Glass on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This was revealed by parties close to the entity, according to reports by Reuters, indicating that the planned exit of Brait from Consol comes three years after a failed attempt of an initial public offering (IPO) three years ago. In 2018 the consortium, which also includes the private equity arm of insurer Old Mutual and Sanlam, wanted to…

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Kerry completes US$1B acquisition of Niacet as Prinova expands portfolio with purchase of Ingredient House

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IRELAND – Global taste and nutrition company Kerry has completed the acquisition of leading food protection and preservation technology supplier Niacet.  The acquisition which was previously announced in June this year aims to complement Kerry’s extensive portfolio of food protection and preservation technologies and processes.  A stronger Kerry portfolio coincides with strong consumer and market demand for technologies that preserve freshness, extend shelf life and reduce the global burden of food waste is accelerating.   Niacet boasts of a range that includes both conventional and clean label solutions and has a clear leadership position in bakery…

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Bingo moment for Carrefour as it inks lease transfer agreement with Shoprite for Ugandan stores

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UGANDA – A golden opportunity for Majid Al Futtaim, the regional franchise holder of Carrefour, to rapidly expand in the retail sector of Uganda’s economy has unveiled itself. The Dubai based conglomerate has entered into an agreement with Shoprite Checkers Uganda Limited, to take over the six stores of the South African retailer in the East African nation. Following the implementation of the agreement, Majid Al Futtaim will expand its footprint to eight Carrefour stores. “We welcome the opportunity to bring our unique Carrefour offering of unbeatable value, range, international…

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Coca-Cola’s Odwalla brand finds new owner a year after discontinuation

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USA – The Coca-Cola Company has offloaded the rights to Odwalla brand to Full Sail IP Partners, a Warburg Pincus-backed investment firm that acquires brands. According to reports by Reuters, the deal does not include production and delivery of the juice and smoothie offering. The move, according to Full Sail IP Partners, a joint venture between Warburg Pincus and brand licensing consultant LMCA, is aimed to revive the juice and smoothie label that the soft drinks giant discontinued last year. The company plans to popularize Odwalla, which was founded in…

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Benson Hill to acquire US soy crushing operation to scale plant-based protein ingredients

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USA – Food tech company Benson Hill has agreed to purchase a soybean crushing facility from Indiana-based Rose Acre Farms, as it looks to expand its ingredients infrastructure. The investment is part of plans to scale the production of soybean products, including Ultra-High Protein soybean ingredients. The deal which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of this month, will be funded through the expansion of Benson Hill’s debt facility with Western Technology Investment. Describing it as “a significant milestone,” Benson Hill revealed…

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