Deal Timeline

Plotted by close date where disclosed, otherwise announcement. Select any marker to jump to the deal entry.

The Rationale That Repeats.

Three patterns show up across J M SMUCKER's deal book — what the team buys, how it pays, and how it integrates. The patterns are the throughline; the deals below are the evidence.

01
Acquisition criteria
Acquire the category leader to enter a category.
Smucker repeatedly used a single large deal to vault into an entire category rather than building organically: Jif and Crisco (2002) made it a center-of-store leader, Folgers (2008) made it the number-one U.S. retail coffee company, and Big Heart Pet Brands (2015) gave it 'an immediate and significant presence in the large and growing pet food and snacks category' overnight. Hostess Brands (2023) did the same for sweet baked snacks.
Hostess BrandsAinsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (Rachael Ray Nutrish)Big Heart Pet BrandsThe Folgers Coffee CompanyEagle Family Foods
02
Capital deployment
Tax-efficient stock structures for the transformational deals.
Smucker's two largest pre-pet-food acquisitions, Jif & Crisco from P&G in 2002 and Folgers from P&G in 2008, were both structured as Reverse Morris Trust transactions in which the target was spun off from Procter & Gamble and merged into Smucker on a tax-free, all-stock basis. International Multifoods (2004) likewise used a cash-and-stock merger with new Smucker shares issued to fund the deal.
Hostess BrandsAinsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (Rachael Ray Nutrish)Big Heart Pet BrandsThe Folgers Coffee CompanyEagle Family Foods
03
Integration approach
Build out a platform, then bolt on around it.
After a platform deal Smucker layered on smaller, on-trend acquisitions: in coffee it followed Folgers with Sara Lee's foodservice coffee business (2012) and Rowland Coffee's Hispanic Cafe Bustelo and Cafe Pilon brands (2011); in pet it followed Big Heart with Ainsworth/Rachael Ray Nutrish (2018); and in natural foods it added truRoots (2013) and Sahale Snacks (2014). It has also actively divested non-core lines (the Multifoods industrial/bakery units, Crisco, and several pet brands sold to Post in 2023).
Hostess BrandsAinsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (Rachael Ray Nutrish)Big Heart Pet BrandsThe Folgers Coffee CompanyEagle Family Foods

The Full Deal Book

7 acquisitions. Each entry carries the deal value, financing structure, target revenue, executive commentary, and the original SEC filing — the evidence behind the patterns above.

01 Hostess Brands, Inc. · Lenexa, Kansas, USA; manufacturing in Emporia KS, Burlington ON, Chicago IL, Columbus GA, Indianapolis IN and Arkadelphia AR $5.6B
Announced Sep 2023 Closed Nov 2023 combination
sweet baked goodssingle-serve and multi-pack snackingconvenience-channel and impulse distributionVoortman cookies

Hostess Brands is a leading sweet baked snacks company whose iconic brands include Hostess Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes, DingDongs, Zingers, CoffeeCakes, HoHos, Mini Muffins and Fruit Pies, along with the Voortman cookie brand. approximately $5.6 billion enterprise value ($34.25 per share, including ~$900 million of net debt).

Why it was attractive
  • Iconic
  • market-leading sweet baked goods portfolio in one of the largest and fastest-growing snacking categories
  • with strong convenience-store distribution
With this acquisition, we are adding an iconic sweet snacking platform; enhancing our ability to deliver brands consumers love and convenient solutions they desire; and leveraging the attributes Hostess Brands offers.Mark Smucker — Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, The J.M. Smucker Co.
Consumers' increasing reliance on snacking to fit lifestyle needs and convenience choices has expanded the occasions where the category can deliver, and the sweet baked goods category is one of the largest and fastest growing in the industry.Mark Smucker — Chair of the Board, President and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Co. (completion release)
02 Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (Rachael Ray Nutrish) · Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA (predominantly U.S. sales) $1.7B
Announced Apr 2018 Closed May 2018 all cash
premium pet foodpet snacksRachael Ray Nutrish brandbranded and private-label manufacturing

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is a leading producer, distributor and marketer of premium pet food and pet snacks, predominately within the United States. About two-thirds of its sales are generated by the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand, a fast-growing premium pet food line; Ainsworth also sells under additional branded and private-label trademarks. approximately $1.7 billion (after an estimated tax benefit of $200 million).

Why it was attractive
  • High-growth premium positioning anchored by the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand in a fast-growing category
We are excited to have completed this transaction, which increases the scale and further accelerates the growth profile of our pet food and pet snacks business.Mark Smucker — Chief Executive Officer, The J.M. Smucker Company
The Ainsworth team has done a tremendous job growing this business, building Rachael Ray Nutrish into one of the most recognizable premium pet food brands in the United States.Mark Smucker — CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company (completion release)
03 Big Heart Pet Brands · San Francisco, California, USA $5.8B
Announced Feb 2015 Closed Mar 2015 combination
branded pet foodpet snacksdog and cat nutritionmass and grocery distribution

Big Heart Pet Brands was the largest stand-alone producer, distributor and marketer of premium-quality, branded pet food and pet snacks in the United States, with a portfolio including Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles 'n Bits, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature's Recipe, Canine Carry Outs and Milo's Kitchen. approximately $5.8 billion at announcement (~$6.0 billion at close, including assumed net debt of ~$2.5 billion).

Why it was attractive
  • Category-leading position in branded pet food and snacks
  • immediately giving Smucker scale in a large
  • growing adjacency
We are excited to have completed this transaction, which provides the Company an immediate and significant presence in the large and growing pet food and snacks category.Richard Smucker — Chief Executive Officer, The J.M. Smucker Company
Big Heart Pet Brands markets some of America's best known pet brands.Richard Smucker — CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company (completion release)
04 The Folgers Coffee Company · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (United States) $3B
Announced Jun 2008 Closed Nov 2008 all stock
retail packaged coffeeFolgers and Millstone brandsDunkin' Donuts retail licenseroast & ground and instant coffee

The Folgers Coffee Company, a subsidiary of The Procter & Gamble Company, is the leading producer of retail packaged coffee products in the United States. Founded in 1850, Folgers' offering includes the original Folgers brand, Millstone, and a license to manufacture and distribute Dunkin' Donuts coffee in the retail grocery market. approximately $3 billion (all-stock Reverse Morris Trust, including ~$350 million of Folgers debt guaranteed by Smucker).

Why it was attractive
  • The #1 retail packaged coffee brand in the U.S
  • transformatively scaling Smucker's coffee business
We are very pleased with the completion of the Folgers transaction and believe that, as the number one retail packaged coffee brand in the United States, Folgers clearly aligns with our strategy.Richard Smucker — Executive Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, The J.M. Smucker Company
05 Eagle Family Foods Holdings, Inc. · United States $133M
Announced Mar 2007 Closed May 2007 all cash
sweetened condensed milkevaporated milkEagle Brand and Borden-licensed canned milk products

Eagle Family Foods is the maker of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed and evaporated milk and related canned-milk products, acquired via merger of a Smucker subsidiary (EF Acquisition Company) into Eagle. approximately $133 million in payments at closing (plus assumption/repayment of approximately $115 million of debt).

Why it was attractive
  • Established Eagle Brand canned-milk franchise complementing Smucker's baking-ingredient portfolio
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Eagle, with Eagle surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Smucker. The Merger Agreement provides for total payments by Smucker at the closing of the Merger of approximately $133 million, subject to adjustment.The J.M. Smucker Company — Form 8-K (Item 1.01), April 5, 2007
06 International Multifoods Corporation · Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA $8M
Announced Mar 2004 Closed Jun 2004 combination
branded baking mixesfrostingsflour and pancake mixes (Pillsbury-licensedHungry JackMartha White)consumer and foodservice foods

International Multifoods Corporation, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company, owned leading branded baking and consumer-foods products (including Pillsbury-licensed baking mixes and frosting, Hungry Jack, and Martha White brands), combined with Smucker via merger of Multifoods into MIX Acquisition Corporation, a Smucker subsidiary. approximately 8 million Smucker common shares issued plus cash and assumed debt (merger consideration).

Why it was attractive
  • Portfolio of leading branded baking and consumer-foods brands extending Smucker's center-of-store presence
We are very pleased with the vote of confidence from our shareholders and look forward to completion of this transaction.Tim Smucker — Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, The J.M. Smucker Company
07 Jif and Crisco (The Procter & Gamble Company) · United States (Cincinnati, Ohio / Orrville, Ohio) Not disclosed
Announced Oct 2001 Closed Jun 2002 all stock
Jif peanut butterCrisco shortening and cooking oilscenter-of-store grocery brands

The Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening and oils businesses of The Procter & Gamble Company, spun off from P&G and merged into Smucker in an all-stock transaction, adding two iconic center-of-store brands. all-stock Reverse Morris Trust (Smucker shares issued; ~0.9451 new Smucker share per existing Smucker share).

Why it was attractive
  • Two iconic
  • market-leading center-of-store brands (Jif
  • Crisco) acquired tax-efficiently
  • transforming Smucker's scale
The J.M. Smucker Company and The Procter & Gamble Company today announced the completion of the merger of the Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening and oils businesses into Smucker. This all-stock transaction, in which the Jif and Crisco brands and their associated assets were spun off from Procter & Gamble and then merged into Smucker, was originally announced by Smucker and Procter & Gamble last October.J.M. Smucker / Procter & Gamble joint press release — June 1, 2002 (8-K Ex 99.1)

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