PORTLAND, ORE. — Columbia Grain International (CGI) has established its new subsidiary Enrich Foods, LLC with the acquisition of Great River Milling in Fountain City, Wis., assuming its milling operation and a new, state-of-the-art packaging and distribution facility. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Portland-based CGI is a vertically integrated company that purchases grain, oilseeds, pulses and organics from more than 8,000 farmers in the northern tier of the United States and operates assets including grain elevators, processing plants and agronomy centers.
Great River Milling specializes in organic and specialty baking flour, grains, and breakfast products, which have a widespread Amazon presence and nationwide distribution through leading retailers and major e-commerce platforms in the United States. Great River is also known for its co-manufacturing and private label capacities for top-tier retailers. CGI will integrate its own Balanced Bushel brand of dry beans and pulses in consumer-friendly packaging into the Enrich Foods portfolio.
The new venture provides CGI the foundation to expand into the consumer packaged goods category and to welcome future business and acquisition opportunities and new market penetration.
“CGI’s acquisition of Great River Milling to launch Enrich Foods gives us the platform to develop healthy, clean, packaged food innovations,” said Jeff Van Pevenage, chief executive officer and president of Columbia Grain and Enrich Foods. “It allows us to leverage our agricultural base of 5,000 producers to open new markets for them thanks to our unique processing and packaging capabilities, all in an effort to further our mission of nourishing the world, safely. I am confident in the competent leadership and passionate team at Great River Milling, which will help make the transition to our ownership seamless.”
Enrich Foods will benefit from Columbia Grain’s stability and access to world markets for commodity sourcing. The Great River Milling facility is located in southwest Wisconsin and offers a central location to service US grain market and freight routes.
The secure and efficient, new SQF processing facility features high-speed robotic lines for high capacity, offers packing, milling and blending capabilities for stone or hammer mill, as well as innovative packaging options from laminated to recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. It also offers a range of package sizes and types for retail, club and foodservice use. It is SQF, gluten-free, organic and non-GMO certified, kosher, and has allergen-friendly capabilities.