J&K – founded in 1899 and headquartered in Paterson, New Jersey – is a manufacturer and supplier of food and beverage ingredients with an emphasis on natural, organic, and clean label products. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close before the end of the year, were not disclosed.

Mario Toukan, managing director at SK Capital, commented: “Under its experienced leadership team which prioritizes compliance, custom solutions, and maximizing value for customers, we believe J&K Ingredients will continue to be the premier supplier of natural preservatives in a constantly evolving market. The Company’s deep expertise and focus on innovation, exemplified by the breakthrough and success of SOR-Mate, not only makes it an essential partner to the bakery market, but opens its doors for customers seeking clean label solutions across the food and beverage industry.”

“As a differentiated provider of high value solutions to its customers, J&K represents a business with which we seek to partner,” added Dan Lory, principal at SK Capital. “We are excited to leverage our expertise in the food ingredient industry and collaborate with J&K to usher in the next phase of growth, building an attractive ingredients platform driven by a proactive commercial strategy and recognized for its comprehensive offering.”

Ricardo Alvarez, CEO of J&K Ingredients, said: “SK Capital’s history of success in the food and beverage and broader ingredients industry and its focus on accelerating growth make them an ideal partner for J&K. Most importantly, they share our belief that J&K is uniquely positioned for the long term to capitalize on the industry-wide movement to clean label products and are committed to investing in its growth. We look forward to working together to bring ‘better for you’ products to consumers.”