Planasa Expands with ABZ Seeds Acquisition
Deal News | Mar 27, 2025 | EIN
The first quarter of 2025 has witnessed a notable number of mergers and acquisitions within the horticulture industry, highlighted by moves in the garden center and horticultural services sectors. Noteworthy transactions include Planasa, a berry breeder, acquiring ABZ Seeds, known for its seed-propagated F1 hybrid strawberry varieties, thereby expanding its portfolio in the competitive plant breeding market. Simultaneously, Cibus Capital, an investment advisory firm focusing on sustainable food and agriculture, successfully merged ISO Horti and TTA to create TTA-ISO, a leader in horticultural robotics and automation. Additionally, the ownership landscape of several UK garden centers has shifted, with J Parkers acquiring Daisy Nook Garden Centre and Devon and Cornwall taking over Chelston Nurseries. Other significant deals include Pro-Force's acquisition of Driven Recruitment in Birmingham, and Pacific Lifestyle's acquisition of TOBS. Collectively, these changes signal a robust consolidation wave in the horticultural sector.
Sectors
- Horticulture
- Agriculture Technology
Geography
- United Kingdom – Significant garden center transactions have occurred throughout the UK, with ownership changes notably taking place in Manchester, Cornwall, and Somerset.
- European Union – Planasa's acquisition of ABZ Seeds and Cibus Capital's activities indicate significant horticultural participation within the EU market.
Industry
- Horticulture – The horticulture industry is experiencing active mergers and acquisitions, illustrating consolidation of resources and capabilities, especially in garden centers and plant breeding.
- Agriculture Technology – Cibus Capital's merger of ISO Horti and TTA reflects the growing integration of technology in agriculture, especially in robotics for horticultural processes.
Financials
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planasa | Acquirer | Company | A berry breeder expanding its plant breeding operations. |
| ABZ Seeds | Target | Company | Developer of seed-propagated F1 hybrid strawberry varieties. |
| Cibus Capital | Investment Advisor | Company | Specialises in sustainable food and agriculture investments. |
| ISO Horti | Merger Participant | Company | A leader in horticultural robotics and automation. |
| TTA | Merger Participant | Company | Specialists in robotic transplanting and sorting solutions. |
| J Parkers | Acquirer | Company | New owners of Daisy Nook Garden Centre. |
| Devon and Cornwall | Acquirer | Company | Acquired Chelston Nurseries and expanded their garden centre footprint. |
| Pro-Force | Acquirer | Company | Acquired Driven Recruitment to enhance recruitment capabilities. |
| Pacific Lifestyle | Acquirer | Company | Acquired TOBS to expand their business operations. |