AMC Capital IV (AMC), advised by Accession Capital Partners (ACP), has signed an agreement to acquire shares in data-driven agribusiness P&P Spearhead UK Holdings Ltd (Spearhead) from Paine Schwartz Partners. The transaction is subject to certain conditions, including antitrust approvals.
Spearhead is one of the leading vertically integrated food and agriculture businesses operating in the EU. The company manages 83,000 hectares of farmland across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and the UK, where the company started more than 50 years ago. It is a clear European leader in regenerative agriculture, harnessing valuable data it collects through its application of the state-of-the-art technologies for precision farming. Spearhead specializes in valued-added specialty crops catering to the most demanding food processing businesses in Europe.
ACP has known the leadership team at Spearhead for years and this longstanding supportive relationship helped give both sides conviction that a partnership for the next stage of Spearhead’s growth would be mutually beneficial.
Przemys?aw G??bocki, Co-Managing Partner at ACP, said “We are excited to be part of a new chapter in Spearhead’s history. The company is strongly positioned to take advantage of the industry trends of food traceability and tightening food specifications. As a genuinely data-driven business with best-in-class professionals setting industry standards, it is truly ahead of its competitors. The business is well placed as a platform for consolidation, and we are ready to support Tomasz and his team in organic as well as acquisitive growth.”
Tomasz Zdziebkowski, CEO of Spearhead, said: “As an integral part of local communities across the region and the European food production ecosystem, we firmly believe that regenerative farming coupled with the latest technology and the highest food safety standards are key to long-term success. We share this view with ACP and we are very enthusiastic about our growth opportunities with their support. We also thank the team at Paine Schwartz for their support over the years.”
John Atkin, Chairman of Spearhead, concludes: “I would like to thank Tomasz, CFO Jonathan Lamont, and the entire Spearhead team for their intensive efforts. In recent years the business has focused on its core operations and has strengthened its position as one of the most technologically advanced farming companies in Europe.”