MCCLESKEY MILLS acquired by OLAM INTERNATIONAL
Context
Olam International agreed to acquire 100% of the equity of McCleskey Mills Inc. from its owners. The deal is structured as a full‑control buy‑out, with the key employee shareholders, including Joe West, remaining in the business to drive integration and future growth. MMI brings into Olam’s portfolio the third‑largest U.S. peanut sheller, with two large shelling plants and a secure position in the Southeastern U.S. peanut belt, which produces 70% of the nation’s peanuts and is the lowest‑cost major origin globally. The acquisition allows Olam to backward‑integrate into U.S. peanut shelling and combine MMI’s shelling capacity with its existing peanut‑blanching and ingredient‑processing footprint in the U.S. (Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas) as well as its shelling operations in Argentina, India, and South Africa. Olam expects to achieve multiple cost synergies, including optimisation of procurement, logistics, and storage, and to expand its position as a leading global supplier of peanut‑based ingredients and blanched peanuts to food manufacturers and consumers.
MCCLESKEY MILLS, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2013, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the AgriFood sector (10.2x).
Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.
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Target
McCleskey Mills Inc. (MMI) is a leading U.S. peanut sheller headquartered in Smithville, Georgia, and operating two major shelling facilities in the Southeastern peanut‑belt. The company is the third‑largest peanut sheller in the United States, with an estimated 12% share of the domestic shelling market and an average annual throughput of about 250,000 farmer‑stock‑tonnes of peanuts. MMI operates processing plants and warehouses near Smithville and Doster/Rochelle, Georgia, in a region that accounts for roughly 70% of all U.S. peanut production, giving it direct access to the lowest‑cost and highest‑yield domestic peanut supply. The group controls a network of some 20 buying points and about 184,000 tonnes of warehousing capacity, which is critical given the seasonal nature of the crop, and serves a loyal base of branded and private‑label customers in the U.S. food and ingredient sector.
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Historical Financials (USD)
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REFERENCES
Valuation range: EV 100M - 350M USD
EBITDA range: 10M - 30M USD
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Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).
Target: mccleskey mills
Acquirer: olam international