In a deal work close to €400m, Alltech will acquire 100% of Ridley, a leading US animal nutrition company.

The combined company will have a presence in over 128 countries and 4,200 employees worldwide. "This will allow Alltech to deliver better performance and value to livestock and poultry producers across the globe,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech.

Ridley, headquartered in Minnesota, is one of the largest commercial animal nutrition businesses in North America. It manufactures and markets a full range of animal nutrition solutions, including formulated complete feeds, premixes, feed supplements, block supplements, animal health products and feed ingredients.

Both companies are industry leaders committed to investing in sustainable nutrition solutions and advanced feeding programs that optimize physical and financial performance on farms, leading to increased efficiency and value.

Founded in 1980 by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech is the only privately held company among the top 10 animal health companies in the world. It spends approximately 10% of its gross revenue on research and development, more than any other company in its industry. The company has more than doubled its sales in the last three years and is on target to achieve USD $4 billion in sales in the next few years.

Ridley was formed in 1994 as a subsidiary of Ridley Corporation Limited of Australia on its acquisition of Winnipeg-based Feed-Rite Mills, a livestock and poultry feed manufacturer with operations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. Since 1994, Ridley has grown significantly, largely through the acquisition of a number of animal nutrition businesses in Canada and the United States, including Hubbard Feeds in 1997, Wayne Feeds in 2000 and Sweetlix in 2004. Ridley Inc. became a publicly traded company in 1997 and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol RCL. In 2008, Ridley Corporation Limited sold its majority shareholding in Ridley Inc. to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a public company listed on the TSX under the symbol FFH.