M&A

Yesterday may have been May Day, but rather than celebrating the start of Spring, several CPG groups were celebrating an influx of cash. No sooner had we hit our collective seats this morning than a few million dollars had flowed out of investors’ wallets and into entrepreneurial coffers.

Last week, Acosta, one of the largest grocery brokers in the world, announced that it had acquired Ignite Sales & Marketing, following a sales process run by Whipstitch capital. The purchase brings a high-touch set of account managers who foster the growth of mid-sized businesses into a brokerage and sales strategy firm that deals with the largest companies in the world.

Yesterday private equity firm KarpReilly’s acquired food and beverage company Zola. A brand pivot in 2012 enabled growth, noted CEO Chris Cuvelier.

Today consumer foods giant General Mills announced that it has acquired upstart meat snack company EPIC Provisions. The brand will operate under General Mills-owned Annie’s Organics. Both Taylor Collins, Epic’s co-founder, and John Haugen, General Mills’ VP & General Manager of 301 Inc, spoke with NOSH about the acquisition.

As the year winds to a close, the wallets remain open, with a spate of high-profile distributor and supplier acquisitions announced in the past two weeks. Many of the companies acquired have a focus on “better-for-you,” fresh, and specialty, underscoring the ongoing importance of consumer interest in natural and unique products.

At this year’s BevNET Live, Scott LaPorta, the president of Campbell-owned Bolthouse Farms described the C-Fresh mission and growth strategy.

Just three years after its launch, neat foods, which markets plant-based, meat-alternative foods, has been acquired by Atlantic Natural Foods, a subsidiary of AFT Holdings. In an interview with Project NOSH, Phil Lapp, neat’s co-founder and CEO, spoke with Project NOSH about the deal.

Pinnacle Foods Inc. announced today that it would purchase Boulder Brands for approximately $710 million dollars. While Pinnacle has a large stable of classic American brands, including Birds Eye, Aunt Jemima, Duncan Hines and Vlasic, the acquisition will add a slate of “better-for-you” products popular with the growing segment of LOHAS shoppers.

It’s the entrepreneurial food brand that has turned into the firmament of its category, but Chobani, now a staple of many a shopping list, might even be targeted for purchase by strategic investors, as well.