Deal includes leading specialty egg brand, Farmers Hen House, and fast-growing drinkable yogurt brand, Pillars
CHICAGO, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL), a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm, is pleased to announce the sale of Pasture Brands Holdings (Pasture Brands), a Better-For-You (BFY) food platform focused on perimeter-of-store refrigerated products and a portfolio company of Benford Capital Partners (BCP), to Pete & Gerry’s Organics, LLC (PGO), a leading specialty egg company. BGL’s Food and Beverage investment banking team served as the exclusive financial advisor to Pasture Brands. This deal marks BGL’s seventh transaction in the food & beverage sector since January 2024 and builds upon BGL’s market leadership position in the BFY category and the broader branded consumer packaged goods space.
Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL), a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm, is pleased to announce the sale of Pasture Brands Holdings (Pasture Brands), a Better-For-You (BFY) food platform focused on perimeter-of-store refrigerated products and a portfolio company of Benford Capital Partners (BCP), to Pete & Gerry’s Organics, LLC (PGO), a leading specialty egg company.
Pasture Brands was formed by BCP in December 2021 with the initial acquisition of Farmers Hen House (FHH). The strategy was to pursue add-on acquisitions of natural, fresh, and refrigerated food and beverage products. Today, Pasture Brands markets and distributes two established retail brands:
- Farmers Hen House: founded in 1997 and based in Kalona, IA, FHH sources, processes, and packages branded and private label specialty eggs (such as organic, free-range, and pasture-raised), which are sold to a diverse customer base across the natural, conventional grocery, and club channels. FHH partners with a network of more than 90 local farmers to source its high-quality, premium eggs.
- Pillars: launched in 2016, Pillars is a BFY, clean-label drinkable yogurt brand sold at leading conventional and natural retailers. Pillars has grown rapidly since its inception, and the brand is known for its exceptional taste, nutritional profile, and product quality.
PGO is a leading producer of organic, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs sold under the Pete & Gerry’s and Nellie’s Free Range brands. The company is focused on supporting the livelihoods of family farmers, each of whom follows the strictest standards of humane animal treatment, safety, and environmental sustainability.
“I am very pleased with the terrific work of the BGL team. Dan and Stephen ran a tactical process, delivering the ideal partner to support Pasture Brands’ continued growth within the specialty egg and BFY yogurt categories,” said Ryan Miller, CEO of Pasture Brands. “I thank them for their commitment and guidance from start to finish.”
This deal joins together two leading premium egg companies, combining complementary offerings across free-range, pasture-raised, and organic segments. Amid the rising popularity of premium eggs, the combined resources and infrastructure will help meet growing demand from customers and consumers. Further, FHH adds another packing facility to PGO’s network, significantly increasing PGO’s overall processing capacity and providing greater flexibility and efficiency in its manufacturing systems.
BGL’s Food and Beverage investment banking team, led by BGL Managing Director Daniel Gomez, has deep sector knowledge and extensive transaction experience, representing companies across the entire food and beverage landscape. Coverage includes branded and private label products, global supply chain, contract manufacturing, processing, and distribution.
About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, business valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of REACH Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.
Industry Contacts:
Daniel J. Gomez
Managing Director
Head of Food & Beverage
[email protected]
312.658.4789
Stephen D. Scharafin
Director
Food & Beverage
[email protected]
312.658.4777
Media Contact:
Kaylyn R. Hlavaty
Communications Specialist
216.920.6622
[email protected]
SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
