Agriculture Acquisitions in United States

Huma Inc. acquired the technological assets of granular fertilizer company Gro-Power, Inc., expanding Huma into the granular fertilizer market and strengthening its turf and ornamental product portfolio. The deal builds on a longstanding supplier partnership between Huma and Gro-Power; financial terms were not disclosed.

Hiphen announced it is acquiring SlantRange, combining two agriculture technology companies focused on remote sensing, computer vision, and AI. The combined business will operate globally under the Hiphen brand to expand advanced crop measurement and prediction solutions for crop science companies and agricultural enterprises.

Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition entered into a definitive agreement to acquire F.L. Emmert, a family-owned manufacturer and marketer of advanced nutritional solutions for the pet and livestock industries. The deal is intended to expand Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition’s product and customer base in pet food and leverage Emmert’s research and development capabilities across pet, livestock, and aquaculture markets.

Everde Growers announced its acquisition of La Verne Nursery, Inc., with an expected closing by July 1, 2022. La Verne Nursery, founded in 1972 and located in Piru, California, is a grower of stone fruit, citrus, and tropical fruit trees in containers, and will be integrated into Everde Growers’ network of farm locations to expand its edible plant offering.

Clearview Capital Fund III-backed Orchard & Vineyard Supply (OVS) acquired Clearwater Irrigation Supply, an agricultural irrigation solutions provider. The deal closed on March 1, 2022, and Clearwater founder Andrey Kaya will continue to lead the business under OVS.

Fast Genetics, a subsidiary of ST Genetics, acquired Acuity, a swine genetics business founded by The Maschhoffs, in a carve-out transaction. SDR Ventures acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Acuity and The Maschhoffs in the sale. Following the acquisition, Fast Genetics is now called AccuFast.

Patten Seed Company, through its Super-Sod business, acquired Frog Pond Turf in December 2021 as its second add-on since Heartwood Partners’ initial investment. Frog Pond Turf, founded by the Baker Family and headquartered in Opelika, Alabama, expands Super-Sod’s sod-growing footprint into Alabama and strengthens supply across regional markets.

Profile Products announced it has acquired Florikan, a manufacturer, blender, and distributor of controlled release fertilizers serving ornamental horticulture, agriculture, golf, turf, and professional landscape markets globally. The deal includes all Florikan product lines and facilities, including its manufacturing facility and expanding distribution center in Bowling Green, Florida, and closed on October 15, 2021; financial terms were not disclosed.

WP Global Partners sold its remaining equity position in Bright Farms in a negotiated buyout with Bright Farms’ majority shareholder, Cox Enterprises. Bright Farms is an indoor farming company producing leafy greens for distribution to major supermarkets, operating hydroponic greenhouse facilities across multiple U.S. states.

Dairy.com announced it has acquired ever.ag, a provider of crop insurance, commodity brokerage, technology, and related services for dairy, grain, and livestock markets. The combination is intended to expand the combined company’s AgTech software, risk management, services, and market intelligence offerings across the connected agriculture supply chain.

Summit Equity Group, in partnership with Midwest Growth Partners, acquired Livingston Machinery Company, an agricultural equipment dealer and service provider operating across multiple locations in Oklahoma and Texas. The buyers acquired the stock held by Livingston Machinery’s former Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and plan to fund growth and expansion while maintaining ongoing operations and employee support.

AEA Investors’ Middle Market Private Equity fund closed the acquisition of Verdesian Life Sciences. Verdesian develops patented biological and nutritional technologies, fertilizer enhancers, and seed treatment/inoculant products for agricultural markets including specialty and row crops.

Clearview Capital Fund III-backed Orchard & Vineyard Supply (OVS) acquired Davis Pump & Electric Motors, a Washington-based provider of water pump installation and repair services for orchards, vineyards, and other end markets. The deal closed on December 18, 2020, and Davis will operate as the Washington division of OVS’ Pump & Water Systems business under continued leadership of its owners, Scott and Darin Davis.

Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc. (IFSI) has acquired D&D Seed Co., a beet and Swiss chard seed company headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington. D&D Seed’s operations will be integrated into IFSI’s Sweet Corn business unit, expanding IFSI’s global distribution network with table beet and Swiss chard genetics.

Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery acquired BrightView Tree Company, a tree and shrub grower based in Fillmore, California; deal terms were not disclosed. The acquisition supports Devil Mountain’s growth plans and accelerates expansion into new markets, particularly Southern California, creating a larger combined landscape plant distribution and production footprint across California and Arizona.

Wind Point Partners, together with its portfolio company Pestell Nutrition, acquired Origination O2D (O2D), a value-added distributor of animal feed ingredients and branded proprietary feed products across the Midwest and broader United States. Capstone Partners served as financial advisor to O2D on the sale, which is intended to combine O2D with Pestell Nutrition to expand product portfolio and geographic reach.