ADM inks deal to Acquire UK-Based FDL to bolster global capabilities
ADM has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire UK-based FDL, a leading developer and producer of premium flavour and functional ingredient systems.
FDL, with projected 2023 sales of approximately $120 million, operates three production facilities and two customer innovation centres, all in the United Kingdom.
ADM notes that FDL’s approximately 235 colleagues, which include about 40 dedicated innovation specialists, have created more than 10,000 proprietary flavour formulations that enable accelerated speed to market. FDL’s customers span channels, and include a significant presence in the $900 billion European foodservice segment.
“Our ongoing investments to add to our flavours portfolio are helping power our strategic work to build a global leader in nutrition,” said Calvin McEvoy, ADM’s president of global flavours. “FDL’s innovative and agile formulation knowledge, deep end-use applications expertise, and strong customer base make them a great addition to ADM’s global flavour capabilities. We are incredibly impressed by the FDL team, and we believe both companies will benefit from each other as we work to expand our reach in key channels, particularly foodservice.”
Eric Beatty, CEO of FDL, said the company is excited to enter into an agreement with ADM, seeing the partnership as ideal with global nutrition and flavour capabilities that will provide “new opportunities to strengthen FDL’s portfolio of taste and nutrition solutions”.
“In turn, the FDL team looks forward to helping add to ADM’s broad offerings with our diverse portfolio of flavour and functional ingredient systems, IP, and capabilities, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit and innovativeness of human talent that has enabled FDL to become a differentiated market leader today,” Beatty added.
ADM is continuing to add to its broad portfolio of flavour ingredients and solutions as it builds to become a global leader in nutrition. Since acquiring WILD Flavors in 2014, ADM has added multiple new offerings to its flavours portfolio through acquisitions, including dairy via yesterday’s announcement of Revela Foods; savoury via Eatem Foods; citrus via Florida Chemical Company and Erich Ziegler Citrus; and vanilla via Rodelle.
The company has also expanded its flavours capabilities globally with acquisitions like Flavor Infusion South America; organic investments like its Pinghu, China, flavour production facility and the expansion of its Berlin flavour facility; and its growing network of innovation centres spanning Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.
ADM intends to complete the transaction by end of January 2024.
