Richardson International, one of Canada’s largest grain handlers, intends to increase manufacturing capacity of European Oat Millers and look for other opportunities to expand globally.
Eueropean Oat Millers was founded by brothers Bill and David Jordan, whose family are fifth generation millers. They have been operating on the Bedford site since 1949 before acquiring it from Bedford Council in 1968.
They opened the current oat mill in 1972 under the name W Jordans Millers. The business was renamed EOM after US corporation ConAgra tooka substantial shareholding in the 1980s.
It has grown over the past 30 years to the second largest oat miller in Europe, producing a wide range of oat products, including various oat flakes, flour and groats, as well as wheat and barley flakes and extruded ingredients and products.
Its products are sold throughout the UK, with exports to continental Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Bill JHordan said: “My brother and I are very proud of the business that we have successfully grown over the past three decades.
“We are pleased to be passing it on to a similar family-owned business that shares both our vision for growth and our core values and we look forward to watching the business evolve.”
Richardson first entered the oat milling business in 2013 with the acquisition of three oat processing plants in Canada and one in Nebraska, USA. Today, Richardson is the largest oat miller in North America.
Chief executive Curt Vossen said: “We are excited to build on our success in value-added processing and extend our food manufacturing footprint to a new geography. We now look forward to building a presence in Europe to enhance our ability to compete in the global marketplace.
“European Oat Millers is a solid, family-owned business that is well-established in the UK. We have been very impressed with both the quality of the business and its people and believe it is an excellent complement to our Richardson Milling division,” says Vossen. “Looking ahead, we will build on the investments that have already been made, including increasing manufacturing capacity, and will continue to seek opportunities to expand our global business.”
The deal was concluded on June 15. Neither side has revealed details of the deal.
