- Chobani®
- Chobani® is America's number one Greek Yogurt made the right way and not genetically modified (no GMO ingredients), with only natural ingredients and sweeteners.
Chobani
Founder: Hamdi Ulukaya
CEO: Hamdi Ulukaya (2005–)
Founded: 2005, New Berlin, New York, United States
CFO: Jody Macedonio
Headquarters: Norwich, New York, U.S
Number of employees: 2,000+ (2018)
Subsidiaries: La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Chobani Acquires La Colombe For $900 Million; Keurig Dr Pepper Becomes Minority Stakeholder
Dec 15, 2023
- Chobani Acquires La Colombe For $900 Million; Keurig Dr Pepper Becomes Minority Stakeholder
- Greek yogurt pioneer Chobani has acquired La Colombe for $900 million just a few months after Keurig Dr Pepper’s (KDP) announced its $300 million deal with the brand.
Greek yogurt pioneer Chobani has acquired La Colombe for $900 million just a few months after Keurig Dr Pepper’s (KDP) announced its $300 million sales and distribution deal with the ready-to-drink coffee company.
The transaction included the combination of a newly issued $550 million term loan, cash on hand, the exchange of KDP’s minority equity stake in La Colombe into Chobani equity. Chobani’s founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya had been La Colombe’s sole investor until the KDP deal, and Chobani is also buying Ulukaya out as part of the latest acquisition.
During an exclusive phone interview with me, Ulukaya said he’s set his sights on La Colombe for a long time also as an advisor, and acquiring the brand is “very personal and careful.”
“We’ve been looking at the coffee category from a value-add perspective, and I just wanted to make sure [La Colombe] has independently grown up to become what they are today.” Ulukaya told me. “Now they can benefit from opportunities Chobani has created.”
Ulukaya notes how Chobani already has a play in the coffee creamer and oat milk categories, and La Colombe’s omnichannel presence and its full supply chain ownership as a premium RTD brand will well complement the company’s portfolio.
“At a time where the industry has faced challenges to grow sales, Chobani has delivered double-digit, volume-led sales growth, and considerable margin expansion. We have never been stronger or better positioned to chart our next chapter of growth,” Ulukaya said in a public statement.
Keurig Dr Pepper’s (KDP)
Dr Pepper Snapple Group was an American multinational soft drink company based in Plano, Texas.
Since July 2018, it is a business unit of the publicly-traded conglomerate Keurig Dr Pepper. (Wikipedia)
CEO: Robert Gamgort (2018–)
Founded: May 7, 2008
Headquarters: Plano, Texas, United States
Number of employees: 29,400 (2024)
Parent organization: Keurig Dr Pepper
Subsidiaries: Keurig, Canada Dry Motts, Mott's, Keurig Canada
