Sun Capital Partners affiliate completes sale of Creekstone Farms in US

Private investment firm Sun Capital Partners’ (Sun Capital) affiliate has completed the sale of US-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef (Creekstone Farms) firm to Marubeni Corp for an undisclosed amount. 

Based in Kansas, US, Creekstone Farms supplies a wide range of USDA-certified Black Angus beef and antibiotic-free Duroc Pork products to groceries and restaurants across the country.

The company's meat products are also exported to other countries such as Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Sun Capital Partners co-CEO Marc Leder said: “We’re proud of our success building Creekstone Farms into a leading international provider of top-grade meats. 

“Throughout the course of this investment, the Sun Capital team partnered with management to drive strategic initiatives that enabled Creekstone Farms to thrive despite broader industry challenges. We are looking forward to seeing the business continue to prosper under its new ownership.”

The affiliate of Sun Capital acquired Creekstone Farms in February 2005 and undertook various improvement measures to transform the business during its ownership period.

As part of its improvement initiatives, the company appointed industry veterans in its management team, expanded the line of all natural products from less than 5% of production at acquisition to around 22%, and bolstered its international business by more than 800% to around 20% of total sales.

Sun Capital principal Jordan Wadsworth said: “We followed a comprehensive strategy for improving Creekstone Farms.”

Sun Capital has experience in the food businesses through its affiliated portfolio companies that include Flavor 1st, which is a grower and distributor of branded and private-label fresh produce. The portfolio also includes Fresh-Pak, which supplies a wide-range of fresh sandwich fillings, pate, dips and cooked egg products to the UK food industry.