Ardent Mills to acquire new company, expand private label
Ardent Mills, a Denver-based flour milling and ingredient company, is set to acquire a new entity. Ardent Mills, which produces private label grain-based solutions, will be acquiring all assets of Firebird Artisan Mills, a gluten-free, specialty grain milling company.
Firebird Artisan Mills has a large portfolio of gluten-free, organic and non-GMO products as well as a dedicated certified gluten-free facility located in Harvey, North Dakota. The planned acquisition, set to close later this year, will allow Ardent Mills to expand its specialty ingredient solutions and create the latest products, services and innovations in gluten-free milling and blending. Customers will have advanced access to gluten-free flours, mixes, blends and specialty grain products.
"Firebird Artisan Mills has been a collaborative and well-established partner of ours in the gluten-free and specialty ingredients space since the formation of Ardent Mills,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. “They have proven again and again to go above and beyond for their customers. They also share similar values, and commitment to safety and innovation, which is why this expected acquisition makes so much sense. We're looking forward to having the Firebird team join the Ardent Mills family."
The acquisition by Ardent Mills comes after a string of additions in recent years, adding to the company’s portfolio. Ardent acquired Hinrichs Trading Company's operations in June 2021. Andean Naturals' quinoa operations in February 2020, an organic grain elevator in Klamath Falls, Oregon in 2019, and additional capabilities in its Denver RiNo community mill to clean and pack specialty grains in May 2019. Ardent Mills' operations and services are supported by more than 35 flour mills, a specialty bakery, a gluten-free facility, and five chickpea and pulse locations.
"Ardent Mills has the right expertise in bringing together strong network supply chains and operating as a nimble and flexible company,” said Mark Beemer, CEO of Agspring, the company that currently owns Firebird Artisan Mills. “Moreover, they share the same strong food safety and quality assurance values as us. These are just a few reasons why we believe that Ardent Mills is the right fit to take Firebird to the next level of growth.”