General Mills is planning to sell its North American yogurt business to French dairy companies Lactalis and Sodiaal in a US$2.1 billion cash deal. The move is touted as a “portfolio reshaping” strategy to allow the Cheerios maker to focus on brands that have more substantial margins.

Upon finalization of the transaction, Lactalis will acquire the US business, while Sodiaal will take over the Canadian firm. The two businesses will operate independently.

The deal propels General Mills’ “accelerate strategy,” and once completed, the company “will have turned over nearly 30% of our net sales base since fiscal 2018,” according to Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening.

“By efficiently managing our portfolio and sharpening our focus on our global platforms and local gem brands that have stronger growth prospects and more attractive margins, we will be in a better position to drive top-tier shareholder returns over the long term.”

The Golden Valley, Minnesota-based company expects the transactions to close next year, depending on regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Divestiture impact

The dual divestiture encompasses the US and Canada operations of various yogurt brands such as Yoplait, Liberté, Go-Gurt, Oui, Mountain High and :ratio. It also includes General Mills’ US-based manufacturing facilities in Murfreesboro in Tennessee, Reed City in Michigan and Saint-Hyacinthe in Canada.

Trades in its North American yogurt firm collectively contributed approximately US$1.5 billion to the company’s fiscal 2024 net sales.

In 2011, General Mills acquired a 51% stake worth US$1.2 billion in Yoplait from PAI Partners and Sodiaal, followed by the nclick="updateothersitehits('Articlepage','External','OtherSitelink','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business','343274','https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/general-mills-to-sell-stake-in-yoplaits-europe-unit-and-take-full-ownership-in-canada.html', 'article','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business');return no_reload();">sale of its European operations to Sodiaal in 2021. The yogurt brand is currently facing competition in the US from fellow category players nclick="updateothersitehits('Articlepage','External','OtherSitelink','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business','343274','https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/chobani-snaps-up-la-colombe-coffee-firm-in-us900m-deal-as-rtd-market-proliferates.html', 'article','General Mills inks US$2.1B deal with Lactalis and Sodiaal for sale of North American yogurt business');return no_reload();">Chobani and Danone’s Dannon brand.

Harmening believes that Lactalis and Sodiaal, which are dairy-focused owners, “are well equipped to drive success for our people and growth for these brands into the future.”

The way ahead

Following the divestitures, General Mills anticipates the combined transactions will be “approximately 3% dilutive to adjusted earnings per share in the first 12 months after the close, excluding transaction costs and other one-time impacts.” The company expects to use the net transaction proceeds for share repurchases.

General Mills will provide additional details about the potential financial impact of the transactions in its first-quarter results on September 18.

In 2024, the company reported net sales of US$20 billion, with its share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaling US$1 billion.