A. Duda & Sons acquires Tozer Seeds

In a significant move for the vegetable seed industry, A. Duda & Sons and G’s Group have announced their joint venture acquisition of Tozer Seeds Ltd, a renowned independent vegetable seed company based in the UK. This acquisition marks an important milestone for both parties, aimed at fostering innovation and strengthening their position in the market. A. Duda & Sons, a fifth-generation family business celebrating its centenary this year, operates from Florida with diversified interests in agriculture and real estate.

Tozer Seeds, which was established in 1944 by Arthur Tozer and has been owned by the Dawson family since 1950, is known for its pioneering work in vegetable breeding. The company boasts a stellar reputation for delivering high-quality seed crops and has achieved numerous industry breakthroughs, including developing the world’s first commercial F1 hybrid parsnip and celery varieties.

Despite the change in ownership, Tozer Seeds will maintain its independent operations, retaining its name and leadership team. The company is committed to its long-standing ethos of excellence, focusing on breeding and global sales of specialty horticultural crops like celery, parsnip, kale, coriander, rocket, squash, legumes, and leeks.

This acquisition builds upon a decade-long collaboration between A. Duda & Sons and G’s Group, during which G’s had exclusive access to Duda’s proprietary celery genetics and seed varieties in Europe. G’s has also had a working relationship with Tozer for over 30 years, creating a strong foundation for this new venture. The combination of Tozer’s global breeding strategy and Duda’s advanced celery genetics program promises to unlock new opportunities and innovations that will benefit growers and customers worldwide.

The transaction will encompass Tozer’s operations across the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Speaking on the acquisition, Steven J Winterbottom, Managing Director of Tozer Seeds, noted that “the executive team of Tozer Seeds and the Dawson family are delighted to see the continuation of the Tozer name and legacy after stewarding it for over 75 years.”

Guy W Shropshire, CEO of G’s Group, expressed excitement about the merger’s potential, saying, “we have long admired Tozer’s diversity of genetics across its crop portfolio.” He remarked on the unification of Tozer and Duda’s expertise, highlighting that “this new venture provides deeper vertical integration, giving us greater engagement in the science of breeding and seed production.”

Sammy Duda, CEO and President of A. Duda & Sons, added, “with over 200 years of celery breeding research and development”—referencing the success of their proprietary Duda Generations varieties—“we’ve built an unmatched foundation of innovation.” He emphasised the partnership’s goal—a significant industry milestone—saying, “we look forward to working with Tozer and G’s to expand opportunities for growers and customers worldwide.”

Legal advice for A. Duda & Sons was provided by Thomson Snell & Passmore, while Mishcon de Reya advised G’s Group, ensuring the smooth transition and collaboration of both companies during this major acquisition. The combined efforts of these reputable firms have laid the groundwork for what promises to be a fruitful partnership in the seed industry.