HGS BioScience Acquires Pharmgrade

Paine Schwartz Partners Makes Strategic Investment in HGS BioScience (Formerly Humic Growth Solutions)

September 20, 2022

Agriculture

Paine Schwartz Partners completed a strategic investment through its Food Chain Fund VI in HGS BioScience (formerly Humic Growth Solutions), a Jacksonville-based manufacturer of extracted humic and fulvic acid products. The investment (terms undisclosed) will support the company's growth, product innovation and operational scaling across its six North American manufacturing sites and global distribution footprint.

Paine Schwartz‑Backed HGS BioScience Acquires NutriAg Ltd.

November 5, 2025

Agriculture

HGS BioScience, a Paine Schwartz‑backed bionutritional platform, has acquired NutriAg Ltd., a Toronto‑based crop‑technology and bionutritionals company. The add‑on deal expands HGS’s North American footprint and R&D/capability set in biostimulants and crop nutrition; Cascadia advised on the transaction and financing.

GrowGeneration Corp. Acquires HGS Hydro

July 28, 2021

Retail

GrowGeneration Corp. signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire HGS Hydro, the third-largest chain of hydroponic garden centers in the U.S., adding six existing Michigan stores (with a seventh opening soon). The acquisition will increase GrowGeneration's Michigan footprint and bring its total store count to 65, and is expected to close before GrowGeneration's fiscal year-end 2021.

HGS BioScience Acquires Menefee Mining Corporation and Earthgreen Products, Inc.

April 15, 2025

Agriculture

Paine Schwartz Partners-backed HGS BioScience has acquired Menefee Mining Corporation and Earthgreen Products, Inc., adding the Menefee mine and Earthgreen's extraction/formulation technology to its operations. The transaction expands HGS's humate product portfolio, vertical integration and manufacturing footprint (including processing in Cuba, New Mexico), enhancing its ability to supply premium humic and fulvic acid products to agricultural customers.

Paine Schwartz Partners Makes Strategic Investment in Sterilex

April 27, 2021

Manufacturing

Paine Schwartz Partners has made a strategic growth investment through its Food Chain Fund V in Sterilex, a Hunt Valley, Maryland-based developer of proprietary antimicrobial and biofilm-control products serving food processing, animal health and water treatment markets. The investment will support Sterilex's product development, geographic expansion and scaling of its food safety platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

U.S. Pharmacopeia Acquires Stratix Labs

October 21, 2024

Pharmaceuticals

U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has acquired Stratix Labs, a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based microbiology technology company, to expand USP’s microbiological quality-control offerings and contamination-control capabilities. The acquisition brings Stratix Labs' microbial preservation products and the Enverify competency solution into USP’s portfolio to better serve pharmaceutical manufacturers, biopharma developers, and compounding entities.