Intersnack Acquires Utz Brands for $2.9 Billion, Enters U.S. Market

Herz — Business Desk · 21 July 2026 at 15:39 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What We Know

Intersnack Group, a German snacks manufacturer headquartered in Düsseldorf and known for brands including Chio, Ültje, Funny-frisch, and Pom-Bär, announced on July 21, 2026 its intention to acquire American snacks maker Utz Brands. According to Handelsblatt and WirtschaftsWoche, this marks the group's first entry into the North American market.

Intersnack is offering $14.25 per share in cash for all outstanding Utz shares, representing a 91.3% premium over the last closing price. The total transaction value amounts to approximately $2.9 billion.

Utz Brands shares surged approximately 85 to 89% following the announcement. The difference between the two figures is due to different measurement times across sources: pre-market or start of U.S. trading session.

Equal Governance and Delisting

Upon completion of the transaction, Intersnack and the Rice and Lissette families — descendants of Utz's founders — will each hold 50% of the company. This equal split requires specific contractual mechanisms to prevent any deadlock in decision-making.

Utz Brands will be delisted: its shares will cease trading on public markets following completion of the transaction. The company will become a private entity jointly owned by both parties.

Context: Two Complementary Players

Intersnack Group generates annual revenue of €4.5 billion and employs approximately 14,500 people across 35 production sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Until this announcement, it had no presence on the American continent.

Utz Brands is based in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The company reports annual revenue of approximately $1.44 billion and operates multiple production sites across the United States. It remains controlled by its founding families.

Key Figures