McCormick & Company Inc. (NYSE: MKC), a global leader in flavor, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the parent company of Cholula Hot Sauce, a premium hot sauce brand that delivers authentic Mexican flavor, from L Catterton, for $800 million in cash.

"The acquisition of Cholula accelerates McCormick's growth opportunities within our condiment platform and broadens our portfolio in the hot sauce category with the addition of the Cholula brand," said Lawrence E. Kurzius, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Hot sauce is an attractive, high-growth category and, as an iconic premium brand, Cholula is outpacing category growth. As McCormick continues to capitalize on the growing consumer interest in healthy and flavorful eating, Cholula, a brand known for authentic bold and spicy Mexican flavors, is a strong complement to our portfolio providing consumers and foodservice operators with an even more diverse product offering that we expect will strengthen our growth opportunities."

Mr. Kurzius continued, "McCormick has a history of creating value through acquisitions. We have a proven track record for achieving our plans and accelerating the performance of acquired brands. We plan to grow Cholula by optimizing category management and brand marketing, while also expanding channel penetration, making McCormick the perfect home for the Cholula brand. As we remain focused on growth and creating long-term shareholder value, we are confident Cholula is a great strategic addition to the McCormick portfolio."

"In the last 19 months, with the support, resources, and operational expertise of the L Catterton team, we established Cholula as a high-performing standalone business, vastly improved our commercial execution efforts, and pivoted our foodservice strategy to position Cholula for long-term growth and success," said Maura Mottolese, Chief Executive Officer of Cholula. "With McCormick's extensive experience and unique insight into the hot sauce category and unmatched global flavor leadership, we look forward to capitalizing on new opportunities and reaching even greater heights together."

Cholula's annual net sales are approximately $96 million and are expected to grow mid-to-high single digits in a normalized environment beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Cholula's portfolio of six distinctive flavors is proudly made in Mexico using high-quality ingredients and is based on a 100-year old recipe comprised of a unique blend of fresh peppers and regional spices. McCormick plans to retain the Cholula brand name in both the retail and foodservice channels.

McCormick Anticipates the Acquisition of Cholula Will Drive Long-Term Shareholder Value

• Increases Breadth and Reach Through Complementary Products and an Expanded Consumer Base: Cholula's products are highly complementary to McCormick's existing hot sauce portfolio and will broaden the flavor offerings to consumers and foodservice operators. Cholula has strong brand equity and a differentiated, traditional Mexican hot sauce taste profile that builds on McCormick's existing portfolio. Cholula's passionate fan base, with a particular affinity among millennials is incremental to Frank's RedHot® loyal consumer base, including their product usage which is typically in Mexican dishes.
• Drives Growth Through Leveraging Operational Expertise and Infrastructure: McCormick plans to elevate Cholula's brand awareness, increase the availability of its products, and extend the Cholula brand into new formats and eating occasions to drive trial and household penetration. The Company's category management, e-commerce and marketing excellence, in addition to its insight-driven innovation capabilities, are expected to accelerate momentum, expand distribution and drive growth.
• Expands Branded Foodservice Distribution and Increases Penetration: McCormick's broad presence across all foodservice channels is expected to strengthen Cholula's go-to-market model. The stronger model, combined with McCormick's culinary foundation and deep insights on menu trends, will expand the recipe inspiration and flavor solutions offered to operators and provide significant opportunities to drive growth through increased distribution and penetration.
• Accretive to Margins: Cholula has an attractive margin profile which we expect will be accretive to McCormick's Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments, excluding transaction and integration costs. McCormick also expects the transaction to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share in 2021.

Financial Terms

McCormick has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the parent company of Cholula for $800 million on a cash free, debt free basis, subject to customary working capital adjustments. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year and will be financed with a combination of cash on hand and commercial paper. Upon closing, the company will incur certain transaction costs that will impact earnings per share. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About McCormick

McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. With over $5 billion in annual sales across 150 countries and territories, we manufacture, market and distribute spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry including ecommerce channels, grocery, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Our most popular brands with trademark registrations include McCormick, French's, Frank's RedHot, Stubb's, OLD BAY, Lawry's, Zatarain's, Ducros, Vahiné, Schwartz, Kamis, Kohinoor, DaQiao, Club House, Aeroplane and Gourmet Garden. Every day, no matter where or what you eat or drink, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick.

Founded in 1889 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland USA, McCormick is guided by our principles and committed to our Purpose – To Stand Together for the Future of Flavor. McCormick envisions A World United by Flavor where healthy, sustainable and delicious go hand in hand. To learn more, visit www.mccormickcorporation.com or follow McCormick & Company on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.