Granos changes control and aims for R$1 billion with acquisitions and exports

A stumble along the way did not allow Granos Alimentos, specialized in frozen vegetables, to stop being interesting for investors. And then, after ten years under the command of the Arlon fund, the manager Cleam Capital gained control of the company.

The change of command occurred at a time of interest for both parties. The seller is an American management company created by the Continental Grain Company, which had only kept this asset in Brazil and intended to divest. The buyer is Cleam Capital, the family office of businessman Wellington Guimarães, founder of Show Tecnologia, a fleet tracking and management company.

Guimarães gained market prominence after expanding Show Tecnologia and acquiring Omnilink, a vehicle tracking company that belonged to Pátria Investimentos. The purchase of Granos marks a diversification of the family's investments beyond the technology sector.

The value of the negotiation was not disclosed, but Granos is a company with a turnover of R$300 million and which has consolidated itself in the frozen food market, after only one mistake in its history: investing in plant-based in 2023, when it purchased Gerônimo.

"It was a bad decision. It was a fad and it did not prove to be sustainable because the consumer understood that the product formulas were not appropriate, despite our vegetable proteins being clean label", Fernando Giansante, CEO of Granos since 2018, tells CNN.

"We lost 50% of our investments", he summarizes.

Now, with new control, the goal is to grow three times in five years and reach revenues of R$1 billion.

To this end, the project includes the acquisition of other companies, both frozen vegetables and fruits, in addition to the start of exports.

The company made its first shipment to the United States after obtaining international certifications, but plans were temporarily affected by the increase in import tariffs and exchange rate conditions."

Frozen market

Granos is today the largest frozen vegetable company in the country, with 40% of the market, but very concentrated in the South and Southeast regions. The main product is broccoli, but the company also sells cauliflower, mixed vegetables and peas. The potato is left out.

"The pre-fried potato market is different, with huge players that have different distribution. But we are partners with some of them in production with a third-party brand", explains Giansante.

"The American market can be an important driver of growth. Ecuador, for example, exports more than 60 thousand tons of broccoli per year to the United States, while the entire Brazilian frozen vegetable industry produces less than that", says the executive.

Granos' revenue is divided into one third coming from outsourcing (co-parker), one third from production and sales with its own brand at retail, and the rest comes from the supply of products to the food service. Brand clients include Bonduelle and Swift.

Cheaper than you think

The consumption of frozen vegetables is still very concentrated in the Southeast of the country and Giansante sees opportunities to expand. "It's a cheaper product, but the consumer is not used to that bill. Nobody buys a kilo of broccoli florets. At this volume, our product is around 40% cheaper than fresh."

The executive sees the expansion of the market with wholesale sales and the expansion of healthy lunch boxes. "With weight loss pens and people not having time to cook, frozen foods are the future. They are healthy, nutritious and easy to prepare."

At the heart of Grano's success, Giansante highlights the partnership with 100 rural producers to guarantee the sustainability and supply of broccoli. In 2025, R$24.3 million was allocated to family farming in future contracts.

"We guarantee the purchase of all production, according to pre-defined parameters, said the executive. The remaining vegetables are purchased at the spot market.

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Source: CNN