Here’s a sampling of notable M&A and investment highlights from 2018 and 2019 to go along with the insight:
• Albertsons Companies and Greycroft partner to invest in new grocery technology
• Apollo Group buys Smart & Final discount grocery stores, then 32 French supermarkets outside Paris from Casino Group
• Blue Road Capital acquires watercress and leafy greens supplier B&W Quality Growers
• Butterfly Equity purchases Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company
• Del Monte Fresh Produce acquires Mann Packing Company
• Dragonfly Group LLC-controlled New Harvest Foods acquires H. Brooks and Company and J&J Distributing
• Fresh Direct Produce, part of HKW, acquires Islands West Manufacturing and Emperor Specialty Foods
• Fresh Farms and Visalia Produce merge under the Fresh Farms name
• Gerawan Farming and Wawona Packing merge operations
• Heeren Bros. and Walsma & Lyons merge and rebrand as Vine Line Produce Distribution
• IF&P Foods and Get Fresh Produce become FreshEdge, backed by Rotunda Capital
• Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan purchases Broetje Orchards splitting oversight between First Fruits Farms, FirstFruits Marketing, and FirstFruits Community
• Potato marketer Mart Group and onion grower ProSource partner to combine sales and marketing activities
• Sole Source Capital acquires a majority interest in Los Angeles distributor Worldwide Produce.
This is a multi-part series adapted from the January 2020 issue of Produce Blueprints, featuring a variety of experts predicting what will be top of mind in 2020.
