PE-backed Ya YA Foods acquires Oatly US manufacturing assets

• Included in the deal is a majority of the manufacturing equipment in Oatly’s Ogden, Utah facility
• Ya YA Foods will assume responsibility for the completion of construction of Oatly’s Fort Worth, Texas facility
• E2P invested in Ya YA Foods alongside the Abbas Al-Ali family in 2021

Ya YA Foods, a portfolio company of Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (E2P) has acquired certain US manufacturing assets from Oatly. No financial terms were disclosed.

Included in the deal is a majority of the manufacturing equipment in Oatly’s Ogden, Utah facility.

Ya YA Foods will assume responsibility for the completion of construction of Oatly’s Fort Worth, Texas facility and will enter into a long-term contract to manufacture products for Oatly in Ogden and Fort Worth.

Based in Toronto, Ya YA Foods is a provider of packaging solutions to multi-national beverage companies across North America. It was founded in 2008.

E2P invested in Ya YA Foods alongside the Abbas Al-Ali family in 2021, with Ya YA Foods founder and CEO Yahya Abbas continuing to lead the company.

On the deal, E2P Managing Partner Mark Burgett said in a statement: “We have been pleased with the strong financial performance of Ya YA Foods since our investment in early 2021. The company has delivered significant growth from its 800,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada and repeatedly demonstrated its unique ability to provide customers with creative and flexible manufacturing solutions. This partnership with Oatly is the perfect opportunity to expand Ya YA Foods’ footprint to the United States, which has been our highest strategic priority for the business since our initial investment.”

Based in Chicago, E2P is a mid-market private equity firm focused on investing in the food and consumer packaged goods industries.