Japanese food group St Cousair is set to buy the jam business of US-based Kelly’s Jelly.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Go deeper with GlobalData
In a statement, St Cousair said the acquisition of the Oregon-based entity was being conducted through its US subsidiary, St Cousair Inc. (SCI), which is located in the same state.
St Cousair said SCI has “positioned sales in the rapidly growing global market as a strategic priority”. The US, it added, with its “significant specialty food market” is a “key focus”.
Kelly’s Jelly produces and sells pepper jelly and fruit spreads in the north-western US.
The Japanese group has a factory in Oregon. Products manufactured there and imported from Japan are marketed under the Kuze Fuku & Sons brand.
Launched in 2017 after St. Cousair set up the US subisidiary, Kuze Fuku & Sons produces apple cider vinegar drinks, smoothies, jams and sauces.
The Japanese company added: “SCI aims to enhance its production capacity and sales power through cross-selling opportunities with existing brands, thereby accelerating corporate value enhancement.”
In the most recent fiscal year ending December 2024, the division being acquired reported sales of Y106.21m ($723,000).
The acquisition is projected to have a “minor” effect on performance for the current fiscal year, St Cousair said, adding it is expected to support the “improvement of our performance in the medium to long term”.
The latest deal follows SCI’s acquisition of Portlandia Foods in 2023, a consumer grocery brand known for organic ketchup and other condiments. A year later, the company bought Bonnie’s Enterprises, which specialises in cheese-paired fruit jams.
“These acquisitions have accelerated [SCI’s] growth,” St Cousair said.
