Herb Thyme continues growth with acquisition of McCormick
Herb Thyme continues growth with acquisition of McCormick
In a move that solidifies Los Angeles-based Herb Thyme Farms Inc.'s position as a leading U.S. grower, shipper and marketer of fresh culinary herbs and edible flowers, the company has acquired the business operations of McCormick Fresh Herbs LLC.
This acquisition will integrate the fresh herb farms, facilities, employees and management team of McCormick into Herb Thyme. It combines two national leaders in the fresh herb business and continues Herb Thyme's pattern of growth through acquisitions. In early 2004, Herb Thyme acquired New Hampshire-based New England Herb Co. and later that year acquired Watsonville, CA-based Quail Mountain Herbs.
The acquisition makes Herb Thyme "by far the largest grower-shipper of fresh herbs," for retail and foodservice, said Mike Murphy, the company's director of national retail sales.
"The acquisition of McCormick adds a lot of foodservice business," Mr. Murphy said.
Raju Boligala, president and chief executive officer of Herb Thyme, said that combined with Herb Thyme's USDA- and kosher-certified organic acreage and production facilities, the acquisition will give Herb Thyme more diversity and increased production to handle the growing demand for fresh culinary herbs and flowers.
"It enables us to further expand our organic production to take care of increasing retailer and consumer interest in organic herbs," Mr. Boligala said. "It also allows us more domestic growing capacity to supply safer products to our customers grown on our own farms in six different microclimatic areas."
Herb Thyme grows all its herbs in Central California and Watsonville on more than 500 acres of farmland. In California, Herb Thyme has a 50,000-square-foot packing facility in Compton, as well as facilities in Oceanside, Palm Desert and two facilities in Watsonville. The company also has a production and packing facility in Claremont, NH.
McCormick's primary base of operations is in Southern California, including a packing facility in Commerce, CA. McCormick "has much newer greenhouses [than Herb Thyme]," Mr. Murphy said.
McCormick's totally controlled growing technologies will be integrated into Herb Thyme. Combining both companies' greenhouses will give Herb Thyme well over 3 million square feet of greenhouse space.
This acquisition will integrate the fresh herb farms, facilities, employees and management team of McCormick into Herb Thyme. It combines two national leaders in the fresh herb business and continues Herb Thyme's pattern of growth through acquisitions. In early 2004, Herb Thyme acquired New Hampshire-based New England Herb Co. and later that year acquired Watsonville, CA-based Quail Mountain Herbs.
The acquisition makes Herb Thyme "by far the largest grower-shipper of fresh herbs," for retail and foodservice, said Mike Murphy, the company's director of national retail sales.
"The acquisition of McCormick adds a lot of foodservice business," Mr. Murphy said.
Raju Boligala, president and chief executive officer of Herb Thyme, said that combined with Herb Thyme's USDA- and kosher-certified organic acreage and production facilities, the acquisition will give Herb Thyme more diversity and increased production to handle the growing demand for fresh culinary herbs and flowers.
"It enables us to further expand our organic production to take care of increasing retailer and consumer interest in organic herbs," Mr. Boligala said. "It also allows us more domestic growing capacity to supply safer products to our customers grown on our own farms in six different microclimatic areas."
Herb Thyme grows all its herbs in Central California and Watsonville on more than 500 acres of farmland. In California, Herb Thyme has a 50,000-square-foot packing facility in Compton, as well as facilities in Oceanside, Palm Desert and two facilities in Watsonville. The company also has a production and packing facility in Claremont, NH.
McCormick's primary base of operations is in Southern California, including a packing facility in Commerce, CA. McCormick "has much newer greenhouses [than Herb Thyme]," Mr. Murphy said.
McCormick's totally controlled growing technologies will be integrated into Herb Thyme. Combining both companies' greenhouses will give Herb Thyme well over 3 million square feet of greenhouse space.
