Houlihan Lokey Advises Whitworths

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce the sale of Whitworths to Anatolia. The transaction was completed on May 12, 2017.

The merger of Whitworths and Anatolia has formed one of Europe’s largest dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (DFNS) businesses. The merger provides a platform for long-term growth, combining the capability of Whitworths as the UK’s leading DFNS supplier with the strength of Anatolia in sourcing and packing Turkish-grown products. This provides the enlarged business with a unique position in the market to deliver supply chain integrity from producer to consumer in key areas of dried fruit.

With 130 years of experience, Whitworths is the UK’s leading supplier of branded and own-label DFNSproducts and a major supplier of beans, pulses, and cereals, with an annual turnover of c. £150 million. The business has a portfolio of well-established brands, including Whitworths, an iconic and heritage brand with a long history of supplying healthy snacking and bakery products to British households. The business operates from a facility in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire.

Anatolia has operated in the food industry since 1965 and is a dynamically growing company in international dried fruit markets, serving more than 15 countries, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and mainland Europe. Operating from a facility in Izmir, Turkey, Anatolia has reputable business relationships with a number of major UK retailers, supplying both branded and own-label products.

This deal represents another successful transaction for Houlihan Lokey in the food & beverage industry.