MaserGrup Acquires Skjodt-Barrett Baby Food Division

✦ Meridian Analysis

MaserGrup, the Catalan holding of Xavier Martínez Serra, has closed the acquisition of the pouch‑format baby‑food manufacturing business of U.S.‑based Skjodt‑Barrett, channeling the assets into its Global Fruselva subsidiary. The deal, concluded after a year of talks, transfers a 130,000‑square‑metre complex in Lebanon, Indiana, including a 50,000‑square‑metre factory that produces roughly 300 million units annually, and a workforce of 360 employees that MaserGrup plans to expand by about one hundred. The acquired division, which generated around €100 million in sales and represents three‑quarters of Skjodt‑Barrett’s global turnover, will be rebranded as SBFoods and added to Global Fruselva’s existing plants in Spain, Chile and Colombia. The seller is Axel Johnson Inc., the U.S. arm of the Swedish family‑owned Axel Johnson Group, which is divesting the core pouch business. MaserGrup will finance the transaction with a mix of internal cash and bank debt, though the purchase price and the specific lenders have not been disclosed. Last year, MaserGrup purchased Swiss baby‑food maker Holle. The group forecasts to bill more than 300 million euros this year and over 400 million euros in 2027, according to Expansión. Deal professionals will be looking for the undisclosed purchase multiple, the composition of the bank financing package and any antitrust clearances required in the United States and Canada. Information on advisers, the exact timetable for integration and the impact on Global Fruselva’s balance sheet will also be critical for assessing the transaction’s full financial implications.

The Meridian Weekly