Butterfly acquires Sabert to expand sustainable food packaging portfolio

USA – Butterfly Equity has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Sabert Holding Corp, a global manufacturer of sustainable food packaging solutions, extending the private equity firm’s reach across the food and beverage value chain.

Albert Salama, founder and executive chairman of Sabert, will remain a meaningful minority investor following closing. 

The rollover investment aligns the interests of the founder, management team and investors as the company executes growth initiatives. 

Salama said that for more than four decades Sabert had focused on developing unique solutions helping customers respond to changing ways consumers eat and live, adding that Butterfly’s expertise and understanding of end markets made it an ideal partner for the company’s next chapter.

Packaging Positioned as Essential Food Industry Enabler

Adam Waglay, chief executive, co-founder and managing partner at Butterfly, said Sabert represented exactly the type of business the firm looked for: a category-leading player with deep roots across the food ecosystem, differentiated capabilities and substantial opportunities for continued growth. 

He noted that as consumers increasingly prioritised convenience and flexibility in how and where they ate, packaging played an essential role in enabling the food industry to meet those needs. 

Butterfly has positioned itself as a partner for packaging companies by drawing on insights and connectivity throughout the food and beverage value chain.

Transaction Follows Customary Approvals and Financing Arrangements

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, with financial terms undisclosed. 

Butterfly was advised by Kirkland and Ellis on legal matters and KPMG on financial and tax matters. 

UBS Investment Bank and Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisors to Sabert, with Simpson Thacher and Bartlett and FBT Gibbons serving as legal counsel. 

Committed financing is being provided by UBS Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs and KKR Capital Markets. 

The acquisition advances Butterfly’s strategy of investing in businesses shaping the food and beverage segment, with packaging identified as a critical component of that ecosystem.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Sayreville, New Jersey, Sabert operates 13 manufacturing facilities globally, including nine in the United States. 

Its capabilities span plastic, paper and moulded fibre formats, serving customers across foodservice distribution, supermarkets and grocery, restaurants and quick-service restaurants, and fresh protein and food processors. 

The business is supported by more than 400 product patents alongside dedicated research, tooling and innovation capabilities, positioning it to respond to shifting consumer preferences around convenience and sustainability.

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