Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it is advising Denali Ingredients, a privately held, family-owned company, on its pending sale to Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI), a business area of Orkla ASA (Orkla). Denali Ingredients is a leading provider of custom specialty ingredients for the ice cream and frozen novelty industry. The transaction is being led by Brant Cash, Andy Warczak and Cam Cornwell of the Harris Williams Consumer Group.

“The specialty ingredients sector continues to see strong interest from both strategic buyers and private equity investors,” said Andy Warczak, a director at Harris Williams. “The ice cream and frozen novelty category is an attractive space that performs well through economic cycles, and with an industry-leading reputation for innovation and quality products, Denali Ingredients is well-positioned to continue to drive growth as a company and for the category as a whole.”

“We continue to see a lot of interest in U.S. food and beverage businesses from European ingredient companies looking to expand their access to the U.S. market,” added Brant Cash, a managing director at Harris Williams. “Denali Ingredients’ longstanding partnerships with marquee customers and its highly responsive and innovative R&D team were very attractive to the market. We are excited about this next phase of growth for Denali Ingredients, which through its partnership with OFI, brings additional innovative products and world-class capabilities to further enhance its value proposition.”

“We are very pleased to become a part of OFI, and we look forward to continuing to assist our customers in their quest to innovate in the ever-changing food sector. The guidance that we received from Brant, Andy, Cam, and the rest of the Harris Williams team throughout this process has been invaluable, and I credit them with getting us to the finish line,” said Neal Glaeser, president and CEO of Denali Ingredients.

Wisconsin-based Denali Ingredients is a leading supplier of fudge, caramel, peanut butter, and fruit variegating sauces; flavors and flavor bases; fruit puree and packs; baked inclusions; extruded doughs; flakes; and other ingredients for the dairy, ice cream, bakery, and food service industries. Denali Ingredients is a sister company to Michigan-based Denali Flavors, Inc., one of the leading inventors and marketers of specialty flavors for the ice cream industry, including its signature flavor, Moose Tracks®.

OFI is the leading bakery ingredients player in the Nordic region, in addition to holding growing market positions in selected countries in Europe. Its biggest product categories are bakery and ice cream ingredients, margarine and butter blends, marzipan, and plant-based food products. OFI has sales and distribution companies in 22 countries, ensuring proximity to bakeries and other industrial customers.

Orkla is a leading supplier of branded products and concept solutions to the consumer, catering, and bakery markets in the Nordic, Baltic, and selected markets in Central Europe and India. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. In 2021, the group had a turnover of NOK 50.4 billion, and has approximately 21,500 employees.

Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

The Harris Williams Consumer Group has completed transactions across a variety of verticals, including branded consumer products; consumer services; food, beverage and agribusiness; and restaurant and retail. For more information on the Harris Williams Consumer Group and recent transactions, visit the Consumer Group’s section of the Harris Williams website.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschäftsführer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

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