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Cal-Maine Foods, one of the largest egg companies in the US, has announced the acquisition of the shell egg, egg products and prepared foods assets of Creighton Brothers, including Crystal Lake, for approximately $128.5 million, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.

The transaction, funded through available cash on hand, expands Cal-Maine’s production footprint and adds new capabilities in shell eggs, egg products and prepared foods.

Both acquired businesses are headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, a region where Cal-Maine previously had no shell egg operations.

Established in 1925, Creighton Brothers produces, grades and packages conventional and speciality shell eggs for retail and foodservice markets.

Crystal Lake manufactures ready-to-use egg products for foodservice operators and food manufacturers, including liquid, frozen, and hard-cooked eggs, and distributes pre-cooked egg patties, omelettes and scrambled eggs.

The acquired assets include shell egg production and grading capacity of approximately 3.2 million laying hens, including 500,000 cage-free, along with 865,000 pullets, a feed mill, 1,007 acres of land and an egg products and hard-cooked egg processing facility.

Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer of Cal-Maine Foods, said: “The acquisition of Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake advances our strategy by expanding the scale and geographic reach of our shell egg platform, across both speciality eggs and conventional eggs, adding meaningful growth to our portfolio.”

The transaction also bolsters Cal-Maine’s vertical integration strategy in egg-based prepared foods. With liquid egg capacity located near its existing operations, the company expects to enhance internal sourcing of key ingredients, supporting supply security and margin performance.

Miller added: “Importantly, with nearby liquid egg capacity, we further our internal sourcing strategy for key egg-based ingredients for our prepared foods business, strengthening supply security, improving margins and driving greater operational efficiency".

Cal-Maine has been steadily building its presence in value-added and prepared egg formats, including pre-cooked patties, omelettes, folded and scrambled eggs, hard-cooked eggs, pancakes, waffles and speciality wraps.

Creighton Brothers and Crystal Lake will be fully integrated into Cal-Maine’s operations, including the retention of 177 employees.

Miller said: “We are proud to welcome this exceptional team to the Cal-Maine Foods family. Their high-quality operations reflect remarkable dedication and capability, and we look forward to achieving even greater success together.”