AGT Food and Ingredients

AGT Food and Ingredients is a Canadian agricultural-processing and food-ingredients company associated with the international pulse trade. The business originated in 2001 as SaskCan Pulse Trading, founded by Murad Al-Katib with financial backing from the Arslan family of Turkey, owners of the Arbel Group. Its initial focus was the trading and processing of pulses sourced from the Canadian Prairies, particularly lentils, peas, and beans. A major transformation occurred in 2007, when Agtech Income Fund acquired SaskCan and subsequently adopted the name Alliance Grain Traders. The renamed business became publicly traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange. In 2009, it converted from an income-fund structure into a conventional corporation and acquired the Arbel Group for $104 million, including its pasta operations. This transaction broadened the company beyond primary pulse trading and gave it a larger international processing and food-manufacturing footprint. AGT continued expanding through acquisitions and facility investments. In 2011, it acquired South African seed company Advance Seed. From 2012 onward, the company increasingly developed packaged-food activities, including expanded production at its Minot, North Dakota facility. In 2014, Alliance Grain Traders changed its name to AGT Food and Ingredients, reflecting a broader business spanning agricultural commodities, processed ingredients, and food products. The company also invested in logistics infrastructure, acquiring Saskatchewan short-line railway operator Big Sky Rail in 2015 and participating in a consortium that purchased the Hudson Bay Railway in 2018. The company’s business model has combined procurement, processing, merchandising, distribution, ingredient production, and packaged-food manufacturing. Its main raw-material categories have included pulses, grains, rice, and other agricultural commodities. AGT has supplied food manufacturers, food-service businesses, distributors, and retail-oriented packaged-food channels rather than operating solely as a consumer-facing brand. According to the cited 2016 business breakdown, pulses represented 58% of sales, milled grains 7%, and rice and other products 35%. By revenue activity, pulse and grain processing accounted for 58%, distribution for 28%, and food ingredients and packaged foods for 14%. AGT developed facilities or operations in Canada, the United States, Turkey, China, South Africa, and Australia, with sales distributed across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. In February 2019, shareholders approved a privatization led by Murad Al-Katib together with Fairfax Financial and Point North Capital. The transaction closed on April 17, 2019, ending the company’s publicly traded period. The available reference material does not establish the company’s current ownership, corporate structure, operating status, or whether AGT continues as an independent operating brand.

AGT Food and Ingredients began in 2001 as SaskCan Pulse Trading, a Canadian pulse-trading business founded by Murad Al-Katib. The company was established around the commercial opportunity presented by Canada’s Prairie-grown pulse crops, including lentils, peas, and beans. Funding from the Arslan family of Turkey, which owned the Arbel Group, supported the early business. In 2007, Agtech Income Fund acquired SaskCan Pulse Trading and renamed itself Alliance Grain Traders. The transaction placed the enlarged company on the Toronto Venture Exchange and marked a transition from a privately established pulse trader to a publicly listed agricultural-processing business. In 2009, Alliance Grain Traders reorganized as a conventional corporation rather than an income fund. During the same year, it acquired the Arbel Group for $104 million, including the group’s pasta business. The acquisition strengthened AGT’s position in pulse processing and extended its activities into food manufacturing. The company continued to build an international platform. In 2011, it acquired Advance Seed, a South African business. From 2012, AGT placed greater emphasis on packaged foods and expanded production at its Minot, North Dakota facility. In 2014, Alliance Grain Traders adopted the AGT Food and Ingredients name, signaling a business scope that included agricultural commodities, food ingredients, and packaged products alongside traditional pulse processing. AGT also pursued supply-chain and transportation assets. In 2015, it acquired Big Sky Rail, a Saskatchewan short-line railway. In 2018, it became part of a consortium that purchased the Hudson Bay Railway. These transactions connected the company’s agricultural activities with logistics infrastructure, although the available material does not provide enough detail to describe the subsequent performance or ownership of those assets. The company’s operating model included buying, processing, and distributing pulses, grains, rice, and other agricultural commodities. It also manufactured food ingredients and packaged foods. The cited 2016 figures indicate that pulses generated 58% of sales, milled grains 7%, and rice and other products 35%. Processing represented 58% of revenue, distribution 28%, and food ingredients and packaged foods 14%. At that time, facilities were identified in Canada, the United States, Turkey, China, South Africa, and Australia. Sales were reported across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In February 2019, shareholders approved a privatization led by President and Chief Executive Officer Murad Al-Katib with Fairfax Financial and Point North Capital. The transaction closed on April 17, 2019, taking the company private. The supplied reference does not establish AGT’s present corporate status, ownership, leadership, website, or whether the former public-company structure remains in operation. Murad Al-Katib was also recognized with the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Canada, the 2017 EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association.

• 2019

  Privatization completed

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  A privatization led by Murad Al-Katib, Fairfax Financial, and Point North Capital closed on April 17, 2019.

• 2018

  Hudson Bay Railway consortium purchase

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  AGT participated in a consortium that purchased the Hudson Bay Railway.

• 2015

  Big Sky Rail acquisition

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  AGT bought Big Sky Rail, a Saskatchewan short-line railway.

• 2014

  Renamed AGT Food and Ingredients

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  Alliance Grain Traders adopted the AGT Food and Ingredients name as its business broadened into ingredients and packaged foods.

• 2011

  Advance Seed acquisition

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  The company acquired South Africa-based Advance Seed.

• 2009

  Corporate conversion and Arbel acquisition

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  Alliance Grain Traders converted from an income fund into a corporation and acquired the Arbel Group, including its pasta business.

• 2007

  Acquisition by Agtech Income Fund

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  Agtech Income Fund acquired SaskCan and changed its name to Alliance Grain Traders; the company became listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange.

• 2001

  SaskCan Pulse Trading is founded

  [1]AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org

  Murad Al-Katib founded SaskCan Pulse Trading as a Canadian pulse-trading business.

An international business-to-business processor, merchandiser, and supplier of pulses, grains, food ingredients, and selected packaged foods.

• Food and agricultural ingredients

  Pulses

  Pulses were the company’s central product category and included lentils, peas, beans, and related crops. AGT purchased, cleaned, sorted, processed, merchandised, and distributed pulse products for commercial customers. The category served food manufacturers, distributors, and other food-industry buyers, with products supplied as agricultural commodities, intermediate ingredients, or further-processed food inputs.

• Agricultural commodities

  Grains

  AGT handled and processed grains alongside its pulse activities. Milled grains were identified as a distinct part of the company’s sales mix, while grain merchandising and distribution complemented its processing network. The available reference does not identify a complete list of grain varieties or current product specifications.

• Agricultural commodities

  Rice and other agricultural products

  Rice and other agricultural commodities formed a substantial part of the reported product mix. These products were bought, processed, distributed, or merchandised through the company’s international network. Specific brands, grades, and current commercial availability are not established by the supplied sources.

• Food ingredients

  Food ingredients

  AGT converted pulses, grains, and related agricultural products into ingredients and intermediate materials for food manufacturers and food-service customers. This business represented a move beyond commodity processing toward higher-value food applications, although the supplied material does not provide a full catalogue of ingredient formats or branded ingredient lines.

• Packaged foods · 2009

  Pasta and packaged foods

  The acquisition of the Arbel Group brought pasta operations into the company, while later investments expanded AGT’s packaged-food activities. Production was expanded at the Minot, North Dakota facility from 2012 onward. The available sources do not establish the names of individual packaged-food brands or their present status.

• 2019

  Privatize AGT Food and IngredientsM&A

  Background

  After operating as a public company, AGT pursued a transaction to return to private ownership.

  Action taken

  Shareholders approved a privatization led by Murad Al-Katib with Fairfax Financial and Point North Capital; the transaction closed on April 17, 2019.

  Aftermath

  AGT ceased to be publicly traded. The sources supplied for this entry do not establish its subsequent ownership or operating structure.

  Source

• 2015

  Acquire Big Sky RailM&A

  Background

  AGT pursued greater control over transportation infrastructure connected with its Saskatchewan agricultural supply chain.

  Action taken

  The company acquired Big Sky Rail, a Saskatchewan short-line railway, for $57.5 million.

  Aftermath

  The purchase expanded AGT’s logistics interests beyond food processing and commodity distribution.

  Acquisition price. $57.5 million (2015)

  Source

• 2012

  Expand into packaged foodsStrategy

  Background

  The company aimed to increase its participation in value-added food businesses rather than relying only on bulk pulse and grain activities.

  Action taken

  AGT expanded packaged-food production, including increased production at its Minot, North Dakota facility.

  Aftermath

  The move added packaged foods to the company’s agricultural-processing and ingredient activities, but subsequent performance is not detailed in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2009

  Acquire the Arbel GroupM&A

  Background

  Alliance Grain Traders sought to expand from pulse trading and processing into a broader international food-ingredients and food-manufacturing platform.

  Action taken

  The company acquired the Arbel Group, including its pasta business, for $104 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened AGT’s geographic and product footprint and added pasta manufacturing to its activities.

  Acquisition price. $104 million (2009)

  Source

1. 1AGT Food and Ingredientsen.wikipedia.org