Multiples are way up among food and nutrition companies -- often 10x EBITA and more -- reflecting consumers' insatiable demand for good-for-you foods. And because this trend is being driven by Millennials, it's only going to get bigger in 2015. There are specific niches growing in double digits, springing from changing buying patterns that favor smaller entrepreneurial brands. Change is coming from the bottom up, and consumers' new demands have not been met quickly enough by the large multinationals. Middle-market companies are meeting the appetite for more protein-rich foods. For more on-the-go snacks and meals. For less fat and fewer additives, for all-organic and zero GMOs. Many specialty brands once targeted to athletes, bodybuilders, and other limited audiences are now finding their way onto mainstream store shelves. Combine these appealing characteristics with today's low interest rates and relatively low compliance impacts on the middle market, and you have an industry that presents huge opportunities in 2015.
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MARQUEE SPONSOR Parthenon
CONTRIBUTING SPONSOR Baker Tilly Virchow Krause
