Houlihan Lokey Advises Dole Food Company

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Dole Food Company, Inc. (Dole) has sold its subsidiaries Saba Fresh Cuts AB and Saba Fresh Cuts Oy to BAMA Gruppen AS (BAMA). The transaction closed on January 28, 2019. The sale of Saba Fresh Cuts AB was a necessary condition of the European Commission's approval of the investment by Total Produce into Dole in July 2018.

Saba Fresh Cuts AB (with a production facility in Helsingborg, Sweden), and Saba Fresh Cuts Oy (with a production facility in Espoo, Finland) are producers of washed and ready-to-eat salads. Both companies prepare and sell various fresh-cut salads and vegetables to the retail and foodservice industries in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and the Baltic States.

Founded in 1851, Dole is one of the world's leading producers, marketers, and distributors of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole provides retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers around the world with a diverse portfolio of the finest, high-quality fresh fruit and vegetable products bearing the Dole brand and other recognized brands. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education.

BAMA is Norway's leading distributor of fruit and vegetables, ensuring products from around the world reach up to around 17,000 customers year round. The company also has a strong commitment to promoting diet and activity, ethical management and measures for the climate and environment.

Houlihan Lokey acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Dole and assisted Dole in negotiating the transaction. This transaction reinforces Houlihan Lokey's strong global franchise in the food & beverage industry.