Probiotic Maker Lifeway Foods Buys Assets of Drinkable Yogurt Supplier

MORTON GROVE, IL — Lifeway Foods, Inc., the leading U.S. supplier of kefir and fermented probiotic products to support the microbiome, announced Aug. 18 that it has completed the acquisition of certain assets of the privately-held, California-based GlenOaks Farms, Inc., a respected and pioneering probiotic drinkable yogurt brand founded in 1984. The all-cash transaction is for certain GlenOaks Farms assets with a purchase price of $5.8 million subject to other adjustments as provided by the agreement. GlenOaks Farms’ unaudited annual gross sales in 2020 was approximately $6.9 million.

“We are energized and ready to integrate the GlenOaks Farms brand into the Lifeway family of brands as part of our strategy to dominate the probiotic drinkables category,” remarked Lifeway president and CEO Julie Smolyansky. “This acquisition gives us regional strength in the West to accompany our Fresh Made brand in the East and the dominant national presence of Lifeway. We will continue to expand our shelf space to offer customers the best selection of kefir, probiotic drinkable yogurt and farmer cheese through these verticals. The potential R&D, transportation and operational benefits made possible by this transaction will help Lifeway grow and support our mission to make the highest quality probiotic products accessible to all and further democratize healthy eating.”

• The acquisition is anticipated to be accretive to earnings per share.
• Lifeway plans to leverage existing selling and administrative infrastructure to increase cash flow from operations upon acquisition. 
• Lifeway sees the opportunity to expand GlenOaks to retailers and channels that have not yet been served. 
• As the leader in the U.S. drinkable kefir market, Lifeway now has increased portfolio diversification with entry into the probiotic drinkable yogurt market, which will be supported by the brand’s existing strength in probiotic drinkables.
• GlenOaks already has strong distribution in California and the West at Albertsons, Safeway, Lucky, Raley’s and more. Lifeway plans to ramp up marketing efforts to expand consumer demographics and reach more communities with GlenOaks products.

Lifeway recently announced that revenue growth surged 16.6% in the second quarter of 2021, marking its 7th consecutive quarter-over-quarter increase. Health and wellness through nutrition has been at the forefront of consumers’ minds, and a recent study has suggested that kefir may limit proinflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients. The growth of scientific interest in fermented foods and their impact on microbiome diversity was reported on recently by the New York Times in an article that reinforces the renewed interest in probiotic dietary staples such as kefir and yogurt. Further, this acquisition of a California-based brand dovetails with Lifeway’s strategic plan to continue sales growth and expand shelf presence in California and the West, as research shows there is an the increased consumer focus on local and regionally produced products.