Horizon Family Brands has acquired organic dairy company Maple Hill Creamery as it looks to position itself as a leader in better-for-you food and beverage products. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
New York-based Maple Hill was founded in 2009 and uses regenerative agriculture practices, with Horizon calling it the "original 100% grass-fed organic dairy company" in a statement. In addition to milk, Maple Hill offers kefir, greek yogurt, butter and cream-on-top yogurt.
The deal marks the first acquisition since Horizon announced its intention to build out its portfolio with a stable of better-for-you brands earlier this year. Private equity firm Platinum Equity bought the Horizon Organic and Wallaby brands in April 2024 from Danone, rebranding the business as Horizon Family Brands in August to highlight its ambitions beyond organic dairy.
The Maple Hill deal will allow both brands to expand their reach across retail channels, as well as improve supply chain efficiency. The companies said the combination will also allow for more opportunities for innovation and product development in organic dairy.
Maple Hill held the No. 2 share in the fluid milk segment as of 2023 with revenue of about $25 million, according to President and CFO James Hau.
"This acquisition represents an exciting step forward for Horizon as we continue to advance our strategic objectives and invest in better-for-you brands," Tyler Holm, CEO of Horizon Family Brands, said in a statement. "Maple Hill's expertise in grass-fed organic dairy and impressive growth across customers and channels complement Horizon's capabilities and vision for the future."
Horizon said in August that it aims to acquire brands similar to Horizon Organic and Wallaby over the next three to five years. The Maple Hill acquisition allows the company to compete with Danone and other dairy companies such as Lifeway by capitalizing on better-for-you trends in spaces like yogurt and kefir.
In November, Horizon named Andrew Springate, former Keurig Dr Pepper chief marketing officer, as its CMO to drive accelerated brand growth.
