Monterey Bay Herb Company, a portfolio company of Frontenac, has acquired AmeriHerb.
AmeriHerb is a distributor of botanicals, herbs, and spices which are sold primarily through its two e-commerce websites AmeriHerb.com and Herbalcom.com. The Ames, Iowa-headquartered company was acquired from co-owners Tom Doyle and Doug Borud.
Botanicals are natural substances derived or extracted from plants such as roots, flowers, fruits, leaves or seeds. Examples include elderberry, lavender, and ginseng.
Monterey Bay is a processor and distributor of botanicals, herbs, teas, essential oils, seasonings, and spices. The company’s products are sold online, in bulk and through co-pack agreements into the nutraceutical, food & beverage, and health & beauty markets.
Monterey Bay was acquired by Frontenac in December 2020 in partnership with food industry veteran, Bob Aiken. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered 50 miles south of San Jose in Watsonville, California. Monterey Bay is led by Mr. Aiken and President David DeSouza.
“We are extremely excited to welcome AmeriHerb’s customers, suppliers, and team to Monterey Bay Herb Co” said Mr. Aiken. “We look forward to building upon the legacy of customer service and broad assortment that Doug Borud and Tom Doyle have built.”
Frontenac invests in lower middle-market businesses that operate primarily in the consumer, industrial, and services industries. The firm was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Chicago.
© 2022 Private Equity Professional | January 25, 2022
