Valesco Industries Invests in Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients


Mar 09, 2022
Adams Flavors

On March 3, 2022, Valesco closed its thirteenth platform investment out of Valesco Fund II alongside co-investors Brookside Capital Partners, Deason Capital, Midwest Growth Partners, and Daniel Shannon.  The transaction was a majority buyout of Central Texas Ingredients I, LLC (dba Adams Flavors, Food & Ingredients, LLC) (“Adams”)located in Gonzales, TX.

Adams is a leading manufacturer of flavors, extracts and spices sold to consumers through retail supermarkets and directly to food manufacturers. The products are necessary for culinary flavoring purposes and are incorporated into a variety of food products.  In addition to their legacy Adams branded products, Adams offers various wet extract and dry spice production and packaging capabilities to some of the nations most respected private label brands and historic regional seasoning brands. Adams branded products are sold in the southeastern United States, with private label products sold nationally. 

Founded in 1888, Adams has become a staple in the flavors, extracts, and spices industry, with their legacy brands transcending through generations, recessions and economic growth cycles. As the creator of the first Red Velvet Cake recipe and designer of the first 4-pack food coloring product, Adams has been innovating and changing the food ingredient space for decades. 

Adams was the last remaining investment in Fund I (Valesco Commerce Street Capital, L.P.) and we are enthusiastic about our ongoing commitment to Adams through an investment from Valesco Fund II. Valesco’s investment supports a control recapitalization of the existing ownership and will support the continued growth of the Adams’ business via new private label programs and growth of the Adams brand nationwide. Valesco’s investment alongside co-investment partners Brookside Capital Partners, Deason Capital, Midwest Growth Partners, and Daniel Shannon, provided for a majority buyout of Adams.

Valesco continues to seek investment opportunities to provide equity and subordinated debt for control buyout, recapitalization, minority, management buyout and mezzanine situations from Valesco Fund II. Adams is a great example of relationship, and continued partnership to find the best possible outcome for the business, the shareholders and Valesco. The company is poised for continued success, and we could not be more excited to add Adams to our growing Fund II portfolio.

About Valesco

Valesco is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm that focuses on making control and non-control investments in select growth-oriented small- and lower- middle-market businesses engaged in manufacturing, distribution and business-to-business services. Valesco specializes in partnering with a company’s management team to support its growth objectives. As long-term industry veterans, the principals have capitalized and built numerous successful businesses, serving those companies in varying roles as investors, managers, advisors and directors.

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