Mondelēz to Acquire Clif Bar as Part of Its Portfolio Reshaping Strategy
CHICAGO — Clif Bar & Co. is changing hands. The energy bar company will be acquired by Mondelēz International Inc. for $2.9 billion, with additional contingent earnout consideration.
The acquisition of leading on-trend brands CLIF, LUNA and CLIF Kid expands Mondelēz International's global snack bar business to more than $1 billion, including its complementary and refrigerated snacking business Perfect Snacks in the United States and performance nutrition business Grenade in the United Kingdom.
The deal for Clif Bar & Co. also advances Mondelēz Internatonal's strategy to reshape its portfolio to sustain higher long-term growth.
"We are thrilled to welcome Clif Bar & Company's iconic brands and passionate employees into the Mondelēz International family," said Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International. "This transaction further advances our ambition to lead the future of snacking by winning in chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks as we continue to scale our high-growth snack bar business.
"As a leader and innovator in well-being and sustainable snacking in the U.S, Clif Bar & Company embodies our purpose to 'empower people to snack right' and we look forward to advancing this important work with Clif's committed colleagues in the years ahead," he added.
The transaction is expected to be top-line accretive in year two and create cost synergies by using Mondelēz International's global and North American scale to expand Clif's sales distribution and gain further penetration in existing and new customers and channels in the United States, according to the companies.
"Mondelēz International is the right partner at the right time to support Clif in our next chapter of growth," said Clif Bar & Co. CEO Salley Grimes. "Our purposes and cultures are aligned and being part of a global snacking company with broad product offerings can help us accelerate our growth while staying true to our deeply ingrained Five Aspirations — sustaining our people, planet, community, business, and brands — five bottom lines that have grounded our company since its founding and will remain our North Star going forward."
Mondelēz will continue to operate the Clif Bar & Co. business from its headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., nurturing its entrepreneurial spirit and maintaining the brand's purpose and authenticity, the snacking company noted. It will also continue to manufacture Clif Bar & Co. products in its facilities in Twin Falls, Idaho, and Indianapolis.
The acquisition of Clif Bar & Co. will build on Mondelēz International's continued prioritization of fast-growing snacking segments in key geographies. So far in 2022, Mondelēz International has announced an agreement to acquire Ricolino, Mexico's leading confectionary company, from Grupo Bimbo and closed on its acquisition of Chipita S.A., a leader in the central and eastern European snack-size cakes and pastries category.
This progress followed a year of strong global snacking growth in 2021, including the acquisitions of Grenade, a leading U.K. performance nutrition company; Gourmet Food Holdings, a leading Australian food company in the attractive premium biscuit and cracker category; and Hu, a well-being snacking company in the United States.
The acquisition of Clif Bar & Co. is subject to customary closing conditions and a pre-closing F reorganization and conversion to a limited liability company by Clif Bar & Co. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022 following customary regulatory review.
Clif Bar & Co. is a family- and employee-owned maker of nutritious energy bars with organic ingredients.
Chicago-based Mondelēz International's 2021 net revenues valued approximately $29 billion. Its iconic global and local brands include Oreo; belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids; and Trident gum.