Norway-based Orkla Foods to buy MTR Foods for $100 mn

As reported earlier, Orkla ASA, the $8.8 bn, Oslo-based diversified conglomerate with interests ranging from branded foods to finance, will buy MTR Foods for $100 mn deal. The deal will see the exit of MTR’s current investors and private equity firms JP Morgan Partners and the Singapore-based Aquarius India Fund. Aquarius had acquired a 20% stake in MTR Foods in 2000, later followed by JP Morgan Partners in 2002, who paid Rs. 20 crores for an additional 28% stake.

JP Morgan headed the company’s nationwide rollout into ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook ingredients and branded spices. Four years later, all these products had established brand equity, but the going was getting increasingly difficult due to severe competition.
It has been widely reported that JP Morgan Partners forced the owner’s hand as it was seeking to liquidate what was a small-sized investment for itself. Further, with MTR Foods taking time to achieve profits an IPO exit was not feasible at the current juncture.

Read the article in DNA Money.

Norwegian company to buy MTR Foods for Rs. 350 crores

Norwegian food company Orkla Foods may turn out to be the acquirer of South-based MTR Foods. The deal size is said to be around Rs. 325-350 crores. Earlier, US spice company McCormick was widely tipped to take over MTR. However, the deal fell through at the last minute due to differences over structuring of the deal, particularly on certain intellectual property issues relating to the brand name.

Orkla is keen on acquiring MTR as it will provide a launch pad for Indian operations. The Norway-based company has presence in bakery, seafood, pizzas, pies, taste enhancers and snacks. In the past, Orkla has grown its international presence through acquisitions in Romania, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. Orkla Foods is part of Orkla ASA, one of Norway’s largest listed companies with its core businesses being branded consumer foods, specialty materials and financial investments.

MTR’s brand pull is such that several large Indian corporates, including Tata Coffee, ITC, Godrej and several PE funds like Blackstone, Indivision and Actis had shown interest in the company. NM Rothschild was the investment banker for MTR, and had estimated a value of Rs. 300 crores on the company when it called for bids earlier this year. The Maiya family controls 59% stake in the company directly and indirectly, with JP Morgan holding 26% stake. Another fund, Aquarius, holds 14-15%. MTR’s portfolio comprises ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook food ingredients and spices.

Read The Economic Times article for more details.