Acquisition of Tecumseh Poultry LLC includes air-chilled Smart Chicken® brand
D.A. Davidson & Co. announced that it has served as exclusive financial advisor to Nebraska-based Tecumseh Poultry LLC (dba Smart Chicken®), a leading producer of premium branded, organic and NAE (no antibiotic ever) fresh chicken products, in its sale to Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN).
Founded in 1998 and subsequently acquired by owners Tom Peed and Kevin Siebert, Tecumseh Poultry produces air-chilled as well as deli-style chicken and a variety of chicken sausages. The Company’s operating model and unwavering focus on quality provide strong support for the Smart Chicken brand promise. Smart Chicken has developed a strong and loyal following with socially conscious consumers nationwide, seeking superior quality products.
“Over the past 18 years, we’ve worked to differentiate our brand by ensuring we produce only the highest-quality, fresh chicken,” said Kevin Siebert, CEO of Tecumseh Poultry LLC. “From the outset, the D.A. Davidson team was committed to finding us a partner who shares our vision and who will continue to invest in what we have built. We appreciate the extensive time and effort D.A. Davidson invested in positioning our business and running a professional process of the highest quality.”
According to Nielsen’s Perishables data, organic fresh chicken grew sales volume by 8.6 percent from 2016 to 2017, more than four times the rate of conventional poultry. Tecumseh Poultry’s processing capabilities and its focus on quality have given the Smart Chicken brand a leading position in the fastest-growing U.S. category of fresh chicken.
The transaction combines one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein with the leading premium chicken brand in the U.S., making Tyson Foods, Inc. one of the nation’s leading producers of organic chicken.
“Smart Chicken is one of the country’s leading better-for-you protein brands and the Company operates with a fundamentally different business model than others in the sector,” said Jeff Cleveland, Managing Director and head of Food, Beverage and Agriculture Investment Banking at D.A. Davidson. “We are honored to have played a role in bringing these two world-class organizations together.”
“We continue to see strong M&A interest in authentic, healthy food brands,” added Geoff Loos, a Director at D.A. Davidson & Co. “We look forward to this next phase of development for the Smart Chicken brand.”
D.A. Davidson’s investment banking division is a leading full-service investment bank that offers comprehensive financial advisory and capital markets expertise. The group has extensive transaction experience serving middle market clients worldwide across five industry verticals: consumer, diversified industrials, financial institutions, real estate and technology.
Together with its European strategic partner, MCF Corporate Finance, D.A. Davidson originates and executes transatlantic M&A transactions under the common brand of D.A. Davidson MCF International.
About D.A. Davidson Companies
D.A. Davidson Companies is an employee-owned financial services firm offering a range of financial services and advice to individuals, corporations, institutions and municipalities nationwide. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Montana, with corporate offices in Denver, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, the company has more than 1,300 employees and offices in 25 states.
Subsidiaries include: D.A. Davidson & Co., the largest full-service investment firm headquartered in the Northwest, providing wealth management, investment banking, equity and fixed income capital markets services and advice; Davidson Investment Advisors, a professional asset management firm; D.A. Davidson Trust Company, a trust and wealth management company; and Davidson Fixed Income Management, a registered investment adviser providing fixed income portfolio and advisory services.
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