Blue Road Capital (Blue Road), an independent private equity firm making control investments in Americas-based agricultural production and supply chain companies, has acquired Natural American Foods (Sweet Harvest) from an affiliate of Peak Rock Capital (Peak Rock).
Moelis & Company LLC acted as financial advisor to Sweet Harvest on the transaction.
Based in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, Sweet Harvest is a natural sweeteners platform and one of the largest honey processors in North America. The Company operates three BRC AA rated facilities in Minnesota, California, and Michigan and serves retailers, distributors, and consumer packaged goods companies nationally. Sweet Harvest employs a direct-sourcing model which allows the Company to maintain the highest standards of quality, safety, and traceability for customers.
“We’re excited to join the Blue Road portfolio of companies” said Ken Stickevers, CEO of Sweet Harvest. “Blue Road has deep expertise in natural foods and agricultural markets, and we are looking forward to collaborating with their team to drive growth and innovation in the natural sweeteners category.”
John Duryea, a founding partner of Blue Road Capital, says: “Sweet Harvest represents an exciting opportunity to invest in a category leader within the attractive honey and natural sweeteners industry. We are incredibly impressed with the Company’s production expertise and its ability to deliver highly tailored product solutions to customers through a complex global supply chain. We look forward to partnering with Sweet Harvest’s management team to pursue growth and add-on opportunities in a large addressable market. This transaction further exemplifies Blue Road’s interest in natural food and ingredient companies.”
