Ardent Mills, a flour-milling and ingredient company, has announced its intention to acquire substantially all the business assets of Firebird Artisan Mills, a gluten-free, specialty grain, and pulse milling company that is part of operating holding company, Agspring. The move comes as part of Ardent Mills’ continued focus on emerging nutrition, building upon its existing wheat flour and plant-forward business. The parties are continuing with due diligence and expect the deal to close by end of 2021. 

Firebird Artisan Mills has an expansive portfolio of gluten-free, organic and non-GMO products as well as a dedicated certified gluten-free facility located in Harvey, North Dakota. The planned acquisition will allow Ardent Mills to provide its customers with additional specialty ingredient solutions and the latest products, services, and innovations in gluten-free milling and blending. 

"Firebird Artisan Mills has been a collaborative and well-established partner of ours in the gluten-free and specialty ingredients space since the formation of Ardent Mills. They have proven again and again to go above and beyond for their customers,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. “They also share similar values, and commitment to safety and innovation, which is why this expected acquisition makes so much sense. We're looking forward to having the Firebird team join the Ardent Mills family.”

The intended acquisition will enhance customers’ access to gluten-free flours, mixes, blends, and specialty grain products; provide additional supply chain assurance; and add additional capabilities to the Ardent Mills’ leading R&D, technical, food safety, and quality assurance teams. 

"Ardent Mills has the right expertise in bringing together strong network supply chains and operating as a nimble and flexible company. Moreover, they share the same strong food safety and quality assurance values as us. These are just a few reasons why we believe that Ardent Mills is the right fit to take Firebird to the next level of growth,” said Mark Beemer, CEO of Agspring. 

Upon closing, this will be another step in Ardent Mills’ commitment to the future of emerging nutrition. Highlights include:

• Acquisition of Hinrichs Trading Company’s operations in June 2021.
• Acquisition of Andean Naturals’ quinoa operations in February 2020.
• Acquisition of an organic grain elevator in Klamath Falls, Oregon in 2019.
• Addition of capabilities in its Denver RiNo community mill to clean and pack specialty grains in May 2019.