Hormel Foods to buy Brakebush Brothers in US$1.06-billion chicken deal

Hormel Foods Corp. said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire family-owned Brakebush Brothers LLC for about US$1.055 billion, a move aimed at deepening the Minnesota food giant’s presence in value-added chicken and its foodservice channel.

Brakebush, founded in 1925 and based in Westfield, Wisconsin, generated roughly US$1.2 billion in net sales over the past 12 months and operates five production plants and two research labs serving national and regional restaurant and foodservice operators. Hormel expects the deal to close in the first quarter of its fiscal 2027, subject to customary conditions including regulatory approval, and to report Brakebush primarily inside its Foodservice segment.

Interim chief executive Jeff Ettinger called Brakebush a “highly respected leader” whose culture and operator relationships fit Hormel’s foodservice growth engine. President and CEO-elect John Ghingo said chicken remains one of protein’s most attractive growth categories and that Brakebush adds scale, expertise and customer reach. Chairman Carey Brakebush said the family’s century-old, people-first business saw a similar long-term approach at Hormel.

Hormel said it expects growth, operational synergies and stronger cash flow from the combination, with adjusted earnings-per-share accretion beginning in fiscal 2028. Wells Fargo advised Hormel; William Blair advised Brakebush. Reuters valued the transaction at about US$1.06 billion as packaged-food companies chase higher-margin, prepared proteins amid shifting consumer demand.

Sources: Hormel Foods press release via PR Newswire (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hormel-foods-announces-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-brakebush-a-leading-value-added-chicken-company-302893854.html); Reuters, “Hormel Foods to buy Brakebush in deal valued at $1.06 billion” (https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/hormel-foods-acquire-brakebush-106-billion-2026-09-30/).