Ardent Mills was established in 2014 as a joint operation of Conagra, Cargill and CHS, and has been transforming into a company that meets today's consumer needs using mergers and acquisitions and operational changes. The acquisition of Firebird Artisan Mills will significantly increase Ardent Mills' gluten-free product line.
Firebird Artisan Mills has a specially certified gluten-free factory in Harvey, North Dakota, offering more than 40 different gluten-free flours and blends. According to its website, the company has stricter quality and purity standards for gluten-free products than the United States Department of Agriculture. It mills, mixes, and packs flour made from starch, legumes and ancient grains in one location.
In a written statement announcing the planned acquisition, Ardent Mills CEO Dan Dye stated that Firebird Artisan Mills has been a "cooperative and mature partner" since the company was founded. The acquisition will expand the coverage of Firebird Artisan Mills products and enable Ardent Mills to provide more products to manufacturers catering to the ketone or gluten-free market.
Gluten-free foods have always been a lucrative market and are expected to continue to grow. By the end of 2020, Statista estimated that the US gluten-free market was worth US$1.77 billion. Research and market analysts expect its scale to more than double between 2018 and 2025.
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 2 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, an autoimmune disease caused by eating gluten. In addition to Celiac, an advocacy organization for the disease, an estimated 18 million people suffer from unrelated gluten intolerance. Coupled with the number of people who avoid gluten due to family allergies, the consumer group of gluten-free products is quite large.
But the appeal of gluten-free is broader than medical reasons. Research shows that many consumers avoid gluten for broader dietary health reasons, although analysis of these products shows that they are generally not very healthy and have high fat and sugar content. Research and Markets estimates that approximately 50 million people in the United States are the target audience for gluten-free products.
Firebird Artisan Mills has been working hard to attract more audiences in the past few years. The company underwent a major expansion in 2017, and its production capacity almost tripled. The company is also actively designing new ingredients to meet the needs of manufacturers, such as nutritious, gluten-free potato chips for granola or protein bars.
The acquisition provides a wide range of gluten-free functions for the flour milling giant, making it easier to formulate gluten-free products for existing customers.
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