Food & Beverage Acquisitions in Vermont

Whitsons Culinary Group, a family-owned onsite food service operator based in Islandia, New York, has acquired Vermont-based The Abbey Group, a regional provider of school food services in the Northeast. The deal expands Whitsons’ footprint into additional New England school communities and brings The Abbey Group’s focus on local sourcing and child nutrition into the Whitsons Family of Companies.

Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) have acquired FoodScience, a Williston, Vermont-based formulator, manufacturer and marketer of pet and human nutritional supplements, from Wind Point Partners. MSCP said it will work with CEO Sharon Rossi to pursue organic growth and strategic M&A to expand FoodScience's portfolio and capabilities.

Stonewall Kitchen, the Maine-based specialty food and home goods platform, acquired Vermont Coffee Company, a Middlebury, Vermont-based roaster and seller of certified-organic bagged coffee. The deal brings Vermont Coffee into Stonewall Kitchen’s family of specialty brands and supports continued roasting operations in Middlebury plus plans for a new downtown Middlebury café.

Chicago-based private equity firm Wind Point Partners has acquired FoodScience Corporation, a Vermont-based formulator, manufacturer and marketer of human and pet nutritional supplements. Wind Point will partner with management and incumbent CEO Sharon Rossi to grow the Company's branded and private-label business, accelerate eCommerce, and pursue broader growth in human and pet supplement markets.

Ceres Natural Remedies, a Vermont-based retailer and producer of hemp-derived CBD products, has acquired Vermont sparkling maple water maker trētap (Tretap). The acquisition brings together Ceres’s CBD retail and product capabilities with Tretap’s organic maple-based sparkling beverage portfolio to develop new CBD-infused sparkling maple water products and expand distribution across grocery, convenience and natural retail channels.