42 acquisitions in May/​June

Five involved sums in excess of US $1billion. Three of these were dairy mergers: Sodiaal absorbing Entremont in France, taking combined sales to €4.0 billion; Eurial and Glac also joining forces in France, adding up to €1.3 billion in sales; and Danone linking up with Unimilk in Russia, bringing together sales of €1.5 billion. The other two were the European speciality chemicals purchase of Cognis by BASF for €3.1 billion and the US acquisition of Michael Foods by GS Capital Partners for $1.7 billion.

Of the 42 deals, 9 were in dairy, 8 in soft drinks, 5 in alcohol, 5 in packaging and 14 in other food sectors. 12 took place within the borders of the United States, 5 within France and 4 within the United Kingdom. Among the 17 international transactions, the United States was the main acquirer and China the leading seller.

April

• Beer US Griffin Group buys Anchor Brewing

May

• Packaging – O-​I from US to buy majority of Cristalerias Rosario in Argentina

• Packaging – US Berlin Packaging to buy All-​Pak

• Dairy – Unilever increases stake in Strauss Ice Cream of Israel from 51% to 90%

• Soup – France’s Soup’ Ideale buys closed plant from Bongrain for €10m

• Alcohol – UK Global Brands buys Inspirit Brands

• Beer – Molson Coors from US to buy 51% of Hebei Si’hai Beer Company in China for $40m

• Foodservice – Spain’s Pascual buys Azkoyen Hosteleria for €33m

• Coffee – US Green Mountain to buy Diedrich Coffee for $300m

• Packaging – Berli Jucker and O-​I from US buy Malaya Glass Products from Fraser & Neave for $260m

• Fruit juice – Brazil’s Citrosuco and Citrovita to merge – $895m sales

• Soft drinks – Britvic from UK to buy Fruité in France for €237m

• Dairy – US DairiConcepts joint venture between Fonterra of New Zealand and Dairy Farmers of America from US buys US cheese business of Swiss Valley Farms from Rochester Cheese

• Dairy – France’s Agrial to buy milk collection business of Elle & Vire along with 10% of Compagnie Laitière Européenne

June

• Baby food – UK Darwin Private Equity buys Plum Baby for £10m

• Dairy – France’s Sodiaal to buy Entremont – €4.0bn sales combined

• Dairy– Carlyle private equity group from US to buy minority stake in Tirumala of India for $23.4m

• Water – US Primo to buy Culligan vended water business for $105m

• Beer – Carlsberg from Denmark to increase stake in Chongqing Brewery of China from 17.5% to 29.7% for $379m

• Nutrition – Danone from France to buy Medical Nutrition USA for $62m

• Bottled water – France’s Eurokin buys Arvie brand from Danone

• Fruit juice – Thurella from Switzerland sells Biotta in US to local management

• Snacks – US J & J Snack Foods buys assets of California Churros – $11m sales

• Dairy – Austria’s Berglandmilch and Tirol Milch to merge

• Bottled water – US DS Waters buys assets of Chester Mountain

• Packaging – Ball Corporation from US buys can making plant of Guangdong Jianlibao in China

• Packaging – US Amcor to buy assets of Ball Plastics Packaging Americas from Ball Corporation for $280m

• Dairy – Danone from France to buy 57.5% of joint venture with Unimilk in Russia – €1.5bn sales combined

• Beer – Asia Pacific Breweries joint venture between Heineken of Netherlands and Fraser & Neave of Malaysia buys 75% stake in Rock Ember of New Zealand from CHC Trustees

• Food – IK Investment Partners to buy majority of Agros Nova in Poland from ITR Investment Partners for PLN 950m sales

• Ingredients – US Corn Products International to buy National Starch from Akzo Nobel for $1.3bn

• Dairy – France’s Eurial and Glac co-​operatives to merge €1.265 bn sales combined

• Food – Heinz from US to buy Foodstar in China from Transpac for $165m

• Ingredients – BASF from Germany to buy Cognis of Luxembourg from Permira and other interests €3.1bn

• Sugar – Shree Renuka Sugars from India to buy 50.3% of Equipav in Brazil for Rupees 11.5bn

• POU coolers – US CoolerSmart buys Health Concepts

• Soft drinks – Coca-​Cola Hellenic from Greece to buy remaining 11% of Coca-​Cola HBC Serbiafor €16.9m

• Drinks wholesale – UK Manfield Partners and management buy Waverley TBS from Heineken of Netherlands – £500m sales

• Confectionery – Lotte from Korea to buy Wedel in Poland from Kraft of US

• Food – Ralcorp from US completes purchase of Sepp’s Gourmet Foods in Canada

• Food – US ConAgra completes purchase of assets of American Pie

• Dairy – UK Kerrygold Company and North Downs Dairy to merge as Adams Foods – £335m sales

• Food – US GS Capital Partners completes purchase of Michael Foods from Thomas H Lee Partners for $1.7bn

About the author

Richard Hall is chairman of Zenith International.

Also by this author

• Feeding the world – 2
• Feeding the world
• 50 acquisitions in January
• Are we actually eating our 5-​a-​day in fruit and veg?
• 213 beverage transactions in 2011

See also

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