Hain Celestial Completes Strategic Acquisition in the United States

MELVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:  HAIN), a leading natural and organic products company providing consumers with A Healthy Way of Life™ announced today the closing of the acquisition of BluePrint™ brand, a nationally recognized leader in the raw juice category based in New York City.

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The BluePrint brand generated approximately $20 million in sales in calendar year 2012 and is expected to be accretive to Hain Celestial's earnings in 2013.  Details of the transaction were not disclosed. 

"We see great potential with the BluePrint brand as consumers increasingly seek the benefits of the nutrients, enzymes and fresh taste of raw juice.  The acquisition of BluePrint, a market leading brand that offers innovative products and programs, provides Hain Celestial with the opportunity for expansion into the premium raw juice category," said Irwin D. Simon, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain Celestial.  "We plan to leverage the BluePrint brand across our portfolio and create a larger retail presence for the BluePrint brand.  We welcome BluePrint's founder, Zoe Sakoutis, and co-founder, Erica Huss, along with Chief Operating Officer, Jim DePietro, and the entire team on the east and west coasts and look forward to growing BluePrint brand into a global business."

"We are absolutely thrilled to join the Hain Celestial family of brands and take our business to the next level," commented Zoe Sakoutis, Founder, and Erica Huss, Co-Founder. "Hain Celestial's commitment to supporting a healthy lifestyle is reflected in their portfolio of products, and they are the ideal partner with whom we can grow and expand the BluePrint brand.  Irwin Simon has put together a tremendous team, and we look forward to working alongside them to create a successful partnership."

BluePrint is a marketer and manufacturer of raw, organic cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juices and juice beverages. The line includes BluePrintCleanse, a raw juice cleanse program designed to detoxify the body; BluePrintJuice, a line of juice beverages; and BluePrintBar, a raw fruit and nut bar.  Launched in New York City in 2007 and delivered nationwide, BluePrint was designed with the goal of making raw foods and juice cleansing adaptable into even the busiest of lifestyles. 

A pioneer in the modern juice cleanse category, the BluePrint brand has attained significant growth in the United States since its founding.  In 2011 BluePrint brand opened a second manufacturing facility in Los Angeles and began shipping to Canada; the brand also began to sell its juices and juice beverages at markets nationwide including FreshDirect, Whole Foods Market, Dean & DeLuca and more.  BluePrint brand has partnerships with some of the country's most followed exercise studios including Exhale Spa, Flywheel Sports and The Dailey Method.  BluePrint brand also has a large corporate client base in the media, fashion and financial industries, among others.  To help clients stay healthy at home, BluePrint brand offers nutritional consultations with a registered dietician and its book, The 3-Day Cleanse, which includes over 75 recipes for food and juice.   

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN), headquartered in Melville, NY, is a leading natural and organic products company in North America and Europe. Hain Celestial participates in many natural categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings®, Earth's Best®, Terra®, Garden of Eatin'®, Sensible Portions®, Health Valley®, Arrowhead Mills®, MaraNatha®, SunSpire®, DeBoles®, Gluten Free Cafe™, Hain Pure Foods®, Hollywood®, Spectrum Naturals®, Spectrum Essentials®, Walnut Acres Organic®, Imagine®, Almond Dream®, Rice Dream®, Soy Dream®, WestSoy®, The Greek Gods®, BluePrint™, Ethnic Gourmet®, Yves Veggie Cuisine®, Europe's Best®, Cully & Sully®, New Covent Garden Soup Co.®, Johnson's Juice Co.®, Farmhouse Fare®, Hartley's®, Sun-Pat®, Gale's®, Robertson's®, Frank Cooper's®, Linda McCartney®, Lima®, Danival®, GG UniqueFiber®, Natumi®, JASON®, Zia® Natural Skincare, Avalon Organics®, Alba Botanica®, Queen Helene® and Earth's Best TenderCare®.  Hain Celestial has been providing "A Healthy Way of Life™" since 1993.  For more information, visit www.hain-celestial.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as "plan," "continue," "expect," "expected," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "may," "potential," "can," "positioned," "should," "future," "look forward" and similar expressions, or the negative of those expressions, may identify forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements include the Company's expectations relating to the acquisition of BluePrint and the potential improvements to the Company's earnings resulting therefrom.  Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.  These risks include but are not limited to the Company's ability to achieve its guidance for net sales and earnings per diluted share in fiscal year 2013 given the economic environment in the U.S. and other markets that it sells products as well as economic, political and business conditions generally and their effect on the Company's customers and consumers' product preferences, and the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations; the Company's ability to implement its business and acquisition strategy; the Company's ability to realize sustainable growth, execute productivity initiatives and manage its supply chain;  the Company's ability to effectively integrate its acquisitions; competition; the success and cost of introducing new products as well as the Company's ability to increase prices on existing products; the Company's reliance on third party distributors, manufacturers and suppliers; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers and secure and integrate new customers; the Company's ability to respond to changes and trends in customer and consumer demand, preferences and consumption; international sales and operations; changes in fuel, raw materials and commodity costs; changes in, or the failure to comply with, government regulations; the availability of natural and organic ingredients; the loss of one or more of our manufacturing facilities; our ability to use our trademarks; reputational damage; product liability; seasonality; and those risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.  As a result of the foregoing and other factors, no assurance can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements and neither the Company nor any person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these statements.

SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.