Whole Earth Brands Acquires Wholesome Sweeteners

Sweet Oak (Rhône & Mariposa) Acquires Whole Earth Brands

August 7, 2024

Food & Beverage

Sweet Oak, a newly rebranded parent owned by affiliates of Rhône Capital and Mariposa Capital, completed the take-private acquisition of Whole Earth Brands, combining it with Royal Oak Enterprises. The acquisition was funded with an $862 million senior secured credit facility led by Silver Point Finance, with participation from Fortress Credit, Cerberus, Monarch and other co-investors; McDermott Will & Emery represented Rhône in the transaction.

Green Boy Group Acquires Sweet Nature Inc.

January 22, 2020

Food & Beverage

Green Boy Group Inc. has acquired the business of Sweet Nature Inc., an importer and distributor of specialty non-GMO and organic syrups based in Ontario, California. The acquisition expands Green Boy’s value-added liquid sweetener ingredient offering and strengthens its footprint in the North American natural and organic food market.

Wisdom Natural Brands Acquires Drizzle Honey

November 4, 2024

Food & Beverage

Wisdom Natural Brands, parent of the SweetLeaf natural sweetener brand, has acquired Canada-based Drizzle Honey to add a line of sustainably sourced raw and superfood-infused honeys to its portfolio. The deal expands Wisdom's product offering into the high-growth honey category and enables U.S. distribution for Drizzle's products, which are currently sold in roughly 1,200 Canadian retail stores and online.

Blue Road Capital Acquires NatureSweet from Silver Ventures

September 20, 2023

Agriculture

Blue Road Capital, an investment firm focused on vertically integrated food and agriculture businesses, has acquired NatureSweet (NS Brands, Ltd.), the largest vertically integrated greenhouse-grown produce company in North America, from Silver Ventures for an undisclosed sum. NatureSweet grows, harvests, and packages tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers across more than 1,400 acres and employs over 6,000 people, with products sold through major supermarkets across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The Hershey Company Acquires ONE Brands

September 23, 2019

Food & Beverage

The Hershey Company completed its acquisition of ONE Brands, LLC, a maker of low-sugar, high-protein nutrition bars, for $397 million (approximately $325 million net of tax benefits). The purchase expands Hershey's better-for-you snacking portfolio and is expected to be accretive to earnings in the first full year post-close.

Elysian Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Wholebake (Healthfull Holdings)

August 5, 2021

Food & Beverage

Elysian Capital III LP, in partnership with Wholebake management, has acquired a majority stake in Healthfull Holdings Group Limited (parent of Wholebake Limited) from Bridges Fund Management. The investment will support Wholebake's next growth phase—expanding its branded and own-label snack bar offerings and scaling its BRC AA-accredited manufacturing capability across its North Wales sites.