New Forests has acquired Lawson Grains Pty Limited in a deal with Alberta Investment Management Corporation. Sydney-based New Forests is a global forestry investment manager offering high-impact strategies in sustainable forestry and related sectors. Source: Timberbiz
Since its inception in 2005, New Forests has earned a reputation for its value-adding approach to the assets it owns and manages and has a track record of sustainably managing forestry assets in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the United States. Lawson Grains will remain Australian-managed under its ownership.
Lawson Grains is one of Australia’s leading corporate grain growers, comprising a 90,500 arable hectare agricultural land estate across New South Wales and Western Australia. It is one of Australia’s largest grains and oilseeds businesses, producing over 200,000 tonnes per year of wheat, barley, canola and pulses.
Under the transaction there will be no significant changes to the Lawson Grains management team in its Albury headquarters or to current on-farm teams.
AIMCo is one of Canada’s leading institutional investors, with significant investment experience in real assets, including over 10 years of investing with New Forests in sustainable forestry and carbon markets in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. AIMCo’s major investment in Australia with New Forests, the Forestry Investment Trust, includes approximately 9,000 hectares of canola and wheat crops in Western Australia.
“Lawson Grains is a high quality and diversified agricultural business with an experienced management team,” Mark Rogers, Senior Managing Director (Australia, New Zealand, US) at New Forests said.
“We look forward to working with the management team to continue to build the business and add value. New Forests will bring its sustainability approach to Lawson Grains, managing for sustainable agricultural production and natural climate solutions including soil carbon and native revegetation and focusing on community engagement.
“This investment is a natural extension to New Forests’ landscape management approach, ensuring integrated production across Australia’s varied landscape, and backed by our valued client AIMCo,” Mr Rogers said.
Macquarie Asset Management is divesting Lawson Grains at the conclusion of a 10-year investment mandate with its investors. During its ownership Macquarie Asset Management built the Lawson Grains management team and business and implemented the strategy to invest in the latest technology, farming best-practices and in the communities in which it operates, setting the business up for its next phase of ownership.
The completion of this acquisition is subject to Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval. All commercial terms are confidential.
