Champaign, IL, USA and Belo Horizonte, Brazil – Verdant Partners LLC, Champaign, Illinois, USA and financial services firm Araújo Fontes, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, today announced the formation of a strategic alliance between the two firms. In its simplest form, Araújo Fontes will represent and provide services to Verdant on a non-exclusive basis in Brazil while Verdant will represent and provide services to Araújo Fontes on a non-exclusive basis in North America. The focus of the joint effort is aimed at middle-market M&A activities in the food and agribusiness sector.
Dean Cavey, Managing Partner of Verdant Partners said, “We are extremely excited about our new affiliation with Araújo Fontes. This arrangement provides Verdant Partners with greater ability to service clients in Brazil which is one of the fastest growing agricultural markets in the world. We are pleased to affiliate with a professional, experienced firm who shares a passion for client service in agribusiness.” Evaldo Fontes, a founder and Managing Partner of Araújo Fontes stated that, “Verdant’s specialty in food and agribusiness provides our firm with the knowledge and experience needed to exploit opportunities in the fast growing agricultural industries of Brazil. The joint venture also provides us with greater access to the U.S. market which better enables our firm to service our Brazilian clients.”
Verdant Partners LLC is recognized as the leading business brokerage and consulting group for agribusiness and the global crop genetics industry. Verdant’s focus covers the span of crop production agriculture, with transaction experience extending beyond seeds and traits to all facets of crop-based agribusiness. Since its founding in 1998, Verdant has initiated and managed successful transactions and alliances valued at more than U.S. $2 billion. Verdant advises privately held businesses, public corporations, multinationals, venture and buyout funds, and technology companies throughout the world. The Verdant client service team of approximately 15 professionals, including three Partners, is comprised of professionals located in offices across the United States, Europe and in Australia. The high level of expertise in all segments of crop agriculture facilitates the proper and professional handling of business brokerage and consulting projects in the crop genetics sector of agriculture. For more information, visit us online at: https://www.verdantpartners.com/
Araújo Fontes was founded in 1990 as a structured investment boutique specializing in client advisory services, structured transactions, and legal and tax consulting services. In 2006, Araújo Fontes concentrated its focus on providing mergers and acquisitions advisory services and structured financial transactions while adding asset management services to provide family office capabilities to clients. With headquarters in Belo Horizonte, the firm also has branch offices in Goiania, Ribeirão Preto, and São Paulo and has 70 professionals including 10 Partners. Since 2006 Araújo Fontes represented more than 100 clients in M&A and structured transactions totaling U.S. $7.6 billion across a variety of industries including food and agribusiness. While primarily focused on client assignments in Brazil, Araújo Fontes is active throughout Latin America and the U.S. For more information, visit us online at: https://www.afs.com.br/