Cannon Falls, MN – February 23, 2023 – Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings (SHFH), the leader in the U.S. natural sweetener industry, has acquired Sweet River Honey, a leading beekeeping business based in Texas. Sweet River Honey will add hives and beekeeping experience to the SHFH portfolio and enable SHFH to further accomplish its vision of being the world’s most trusted natural sweetener company.
Sweet River Honey was founded by Matt Halbgewachs in 2015, but the beekeeping legacy of the Halbgewachs family has a long history that dates back centuries. Sweet River Honey was established with a passion for supporting sustainable beekeeping and providing consumers with high-quality honey. Together, SHFH and Sweet River Honey will expand its operations and enable every home in the U.S. to enjoy pure honey.
“Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings is deeply committed to growing the natural sweetener market with the highest-quality honey,” said Ken Stickevers, CEO of Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings. “By adding Sweet River Honey to our portfolio of companies, we can continue to build trust with customers by advancing best-in-class beekeeping practices and increasing transparency in the honey market.”
“Sweet River Honey provides pure honey with a hive-to-table philosophy,” said Matt Halbgewachs, founder of Sweet River Honey. “By combining our passion for pure honey and sustainable beekeeping with the depth of expertise and resources of Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings, we can be part of a team that helps more people discover the way bees intend honey to be – 100% pure, raw & unfiltered.”
In January 2022, SHFH merged Sweet Harvest Foods, a global natural sweeteners platform and one of the largest honey packers in North America, and Nature Nate’s Honey Co. (Nate’s), the number-one branded honey company in the U.S. and producer of 100% pure, raw and unfiltered honey. Since their merger, Sweet Harvest Foods and Nate’s have delivered on their promise of providing customers with the highest-quality, purest honey by adhering to strict testing standards.
“The purchase of Sweet River Honey is the result of a decades-long partnership and friendship with Matt Halbgewachs,” said Nathan Sheets, founder and CEO of Nate’s. “Matt has put his heart and soul into the care of his honeybees. He has been a trustworthy partner who is not only committed to producing pure honey with the same level of care and passion that our brand is known for but also shares a vision for bringing the goodness of pure honey to more families across the country. Adding Sweet River Honey to the team is a natural extension of our mission to become the most trusted honey company in the country.”
About Sweet Harvest Foods
Serving some of the best-known manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the food industry, Sweet Harvest Foods is one of the country’s largest packers of 100% pure all-natural honey. As a worldwide leader in the sourcing and distribution of natural sweeteners, Sweet Harvest Foods provides consistent, verifiable quality and operational flexibility with facilities in Minnesota, California and Michigan. For more information, visit www.sweetharvestfoods.com.
About Sweet River Honey
Sweet River Honey was founded with a centuries’ long heritage of beekeeping and a passion for producing high-quality honey. Based in Driftwood, Texas, it has earned a reputation for sustainable beekeeping practices and trusted beekeeping relationships with communities from South Texas to California to North Dakota. With a commitment to a hive-to-table philosophy, Sweet River Honey prides itself in bringing consumers 100% pure, raw and unfiltered honey that comes directly from the hive, nothing added and nothing taken away. For more information, visit https://www.sweetriverhoney.com.
About Nature Nate’s Honey Co.
Since 1972, Nature Nate’s Honey Co. has been dedicated to offering honey as nature intended – 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered. Arriving in its most natural form, this honey is closest to its original provision from the hive. Nate’s adheres to strict quality-control standards, sourcing honey from trusted beekeepers and minimally processing it to ensure the honey retains all its natural benefits. Nate’s promises an undivided commitment to providing the highest-quality product to you and your family’s dining table – a farmer’s market quality honey, available year-round. For more information, visit www.naturenates.com.
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